Folklife!

Sphere juggler. This guy was amazing!

A year ago after our regular Friday morning sketch outing, Kate and I had made a side trip to sketch at the Northwest Folklife Festival in the afternoon. This year we decided to make the 43^rd annual Folklife fest the main sketching event. Although only a small group of sketchers showed up, it was fun to see the variety of views that caught our attention: Some focused on a particular musical stage performance; others sketched the color and festive ambiance.

For me, the life of Folklife is defined by the buskers and other “informally” paid street performers who stand under any shade tree, sharing their particular art form. (Some individuals’ “art form” consists of expressing their opinions on placards.) After I sketched a bongo drummer named Caleb who seemed to be having the time of his life, I dropped a dollar into his cup and showed him the sketch. Delighted, he also seemed surprised. “You come to Folklife to sketch?” he asked, and when I replied by saying it’s my way of participating and interacting with all the music and activities, he suddenly got it. “Oh, just like me!” Indeed, just like him.

Performance artist wearing a mask of flowers.

Bongo drummer

Accordian player

Steel drummers

The man at left is a Folklife volunteer. The other is . . .?

Bollywood dancing