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All in the family
Organizers work to keep Art In The Park a family friendly fair
Looking around the gathering of
more than 400 artists filling the streets
of downtown Plymouth, it is difficult to
believe the event began as a social
gathering of local artists in Kellogg
Park 34 years ago.
When Dianne Quinn organized that
first gathering in 1979, she had no idea
it would become not only her career,
but a family business. As the popularity
of the gathering grew and more and
more artists joined the annual exhibi-
tion, Quinn would bring her daughter,
Raychel, along to the event. Now
Raychel Rork, she said that she can
remember being at the event when she
was too short to reach the top of some
of the tables. As she grew in age and
height, so did her involvement and
responsibilities with Art In The Park
and she is now the president of the
family company.
Her two children have also been at
the annual Art In The Park event since
they were very small, under the watch-
ful eyes of grandmother Quinn and
bothparents.
Now, artists flock to what has been
rated one of the best art events in the
country by experts, confident in the
professional management and organi-
zation of the event. This year, again,
more than 400 artists will be displaying
and selling their work and have come
to Plymouth from 32 states across the
country. Of those in the show this year,
Quinn said, 72 are newat the event.
More than 100,000 people are
expected to visit the three-day show
July 12, 13, and 14 which will include
live music, interactive displays, lots of
giveaways and samples, children's
activities and a variety of cuisine.
Setting the bar for quality and original-
ity, Art In The Park artists will show-
case a variety of art, including painting,
sculpture, ceramics, glass, fiber and
fashion, jewelry, wood, photography,
mixedmedia andmore.
Quinn and Rork find a way, every
year, to add unique entertainment
while preserving the favorites that the
artists and the crowds have come to
look forward to every year. The living
mural by artist Kristen Anderson will
return to delight viewers as the artists
incorporates live figures painted right
into a mural. Her sister, Erin
Dillenbeck, is the lead artist on the
Dianne Quinn and Raychel Rork
See
Festival,
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