Photos: Fairy House Festival at Artpark

Imagination came to life Saturday, as Artpark & Company presented the annual Fairy House Festival. The event featured a drum circle, crafts, costumed characters, live music, photo opportunities, and a “secret” garden filled with fairy houses – and even more of the above!

A press release explained, “Now in its 13th year, Artpark’s Fairy House Festival has evolved from an art walk of miniature fairy houses installed in the park by both local community and professional artists to an international, interdisciplinary and immersive performing arts festival with interactive performances by international, national and local actors, performers and musicians presented in the setting of the park overlooking the Niagara Gorge.”

New this year was celebration of Ukrainian culture – “Its mystic and ancient traditions, as well as its vibrant modern art.”

Featured acts and artists included Mucca Pazza – both at Emerald Grove and on the main lawn; the Artpark Fairy Orchestra; the Artpark Fairy ensemble directed by Vlad Troitskyi; art inspired by Maria Prymachenko produced by Bethany Krull; the art of costume by Uta Bekaia; and the art of living puppetry by Luna Gomberg.

The festival was directed by Troitskyi, a theater director from Kyiv, Ukraine, the founder of the CCA Dakh Theater and GogolFest, and the founder of the DakhaBrakha band. The press release noted he worked with 20 local actors and artists on creating a Ukrainian-inspired celebration costumed by Bekaia, with installations by Krull inspired by the art of Ukrainian artist Prymachenko.

“Whimsical and enchanting Artpark Fairies and roaming musicians” were outfitted in costume creations by Bekaia, a multimedia artist residing and working in New York and Tbilisi. “He creates performances and installations inhabited with wearable sculptures, exploring his historical cultural background and cycles of the universe.” Currently, he is a resident artist at ART OMI, New York; and in partnership with ERTI Gallery, Tbilisi.

(Photos by Joshua Maloni)

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