By BECKY HAND

Community Editor

Even if your taste in art runs to the velvet portrait of the Dogs Playing Poker, you won’t want to miss this year’s Whitley County Autumn Art Festival; this year to benefit the Humane Shelter.
Proceeds from booth rental, art contest entry fees, carriage rides and donation jars are earmarked for the animal shelter. There is no entry fee to attend the festival.
Located mostly on the Courthouse square, all the festivities occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sept. 6.
Originally called “Art Around the Square” the founding organizer, Trudy Miller-Longhenry, is back and promises more great opportunities for kids and kids at heart.
In the children’s tent, they are planning Bead Art, Balloon Art, Shell Painting, Face Painting, a Caricature Artist and Sidewalk Chalk Art.
New this year is the “Little Picasso’s” canvas painting in which the children will be allowed to paint an original drawing on a section of a large canvas. Who knows what it will look like when it’s finished.
Also the Willy Wonka Chocolate Booth will debut this year, in hopes that it will become an annual event. Sept. 4 is World Chocolate Day, and for this booth, edible chocolate clay will be available for the children to mold into art, and take home with them.
Audio Art will waft through the air all day with the following musicians contributing to the ambience: Cathy Serrano, Folk singer/songwriter; Roy Carter, country; Steve Suvada, classical; Darlene Hackett, hammered dulcimer; Eric Clancy, piano/jazz duo; Shade ‘N Shannon, country duo; and Rick Barton and Henry Lantz, soft rock.
Vendors showcasing their art number upward of 34, so far: Carolyn Coverstone, Cynthia Ballinger, and Daphne Mildred, pottery; Linnea Bartling, functional stoneware; Martha Chilcote, stained glass; Roxanne Coffelt, Renae Jordan, Susan Karczewski, Marge Ann Phillips, Kathleen Smith and Jennifer Gareiss and Bev Walda  handcrafted jewelry; Perry Collins, Jenni Kulp and Holly Heath Perfect, photography; Bob Craven and David Mann, wood art; Ann Crawford, prints of original artwork; Janet Blumenthal, Sarah Creason, Terry Armstrong, Marcia Cole, Vivian DeAngelo, Dick Heffelfinger, Brenda Mann, Alice Martin and Lisa Chiddister, Ann Peperak, in many types of painting, along with crafts from Passages;  Pamela Larkey, baskets; Mary Naibauer, porcelain and vinyl dolls; Deborah D. Ross, Celtic design in paper, beads and glass; Tom Sherbondy, clay art; James Snyder, rope art; Becky Thornburg, decorated hats; and Jerry and Penney Whisenhut, metal yard art.
Financial support for the Autumn Art Festival was provided by grants from Fort Wayne Arts United and the Whitley County Community Foundation Count Me In! program. Committee members are: Carolyn Coverstone, Sue Roman, Cheryl Thiele, Beth Binkley and Henry Phillips.