ArtBurst Northwest is an art fair in West Linn, OR, formerly known as the West Linn Arts Festival.  I had exhibited at the show in its previous incarnation, but it’s been a couple of years, so I wanted to drop in and see how/if things had changed.

There were a couple of artists whose work I liked (which shouldn’t be interpreted as a slam on anyone involved with the show – if you put together any 100 artists, it’s so unlikely that more than a fraction’s work would be to my personal tastes), but if I had to sum up the show in one word, I’d go with “decorative.”  Lots of flowers, birds, landscapes, etc, some of which is executed with great skill.  I’ve never been on the inside of a jurying process, so I don’t know if that’s just the type of artist who chooses to submit to this particular show, or if it’s by design.  Either way, it jibes with my perception of the earlier incarnation of ArtBurst, that you won’t find much figurative work there, or anything challenging.  

But if you were looking for something in that vein, Marylhurst is a beautiful campus (it made me miss the days of being devoted to one pursuit in a place that supports that), and the show is well-run.  There was even a shuttle running between distant parking lots and the show itself, which is a welcome touch, and it wasn’t overcrowded, like Art in the Pearl can frequently feel.