Mattoon Street Arts Festival features many local artisans.
SPRINGFIELD – A laptop bag made out of David sunflower seed bags, hand-crafted wooden sculptures, and handmade quilts and scarves were just a few of the items on display during the 40th annual Mattoon Street Arts Festival.
More than 100 vendors from across New England participated in the two-day festival selling everything from clothing to paintings and even baked goods.
“We always try to get something new and different, but we really just wait to see what vendors want to participate every year,” said Robert McCarroll, longtime festival coordinator and member of the Mattoon Street Historic Preservation Society, which hosts the event each year.
The festival included a garden tour as well as a home tour of several homes on Mattoon and Elliot streets.
“It was amazing to see the turnout,” said Judy Matt who’s home on Mattoon Street was open to the public Saturday. “We had more than 400 people participate in the tours even with the rain, it was wonderful.”
McCarroll said one goal of the festival is to introduce the neighborhood to people who might not be familiar with the historic streets. Mattoon and Elliot streets are lined with restored brick Victorian row houses.
This year many vendors seemed to focus on selling products made with used or recycled materials.
Lou Leelyn, of Lou’s Upcycles in Wendell, had a tent full of customers. She creates a variety of products including laptop bags, clutches, wallets, jewelry and more out of recycled bags.
“I’ve been doing it for five years and I’ve been able to keep 20,000 bags out of the landfill,” she said.
Leelyn uses certain types of plastic bags, melts them down with an iron and turns them into plastic fabric than can be sewn.
Her pieces are affordable and made from bags collected by people including many folks from Western Massachusetts.
“On my website I have a listing of the types of bags that I can use and people mail them to me and I use them to create new pieces,” she said.
Just a few booths over Whitney Rahm, of East Longmeadow, featured her bright and colorful art work. Some of her most popular pieces include “friendly monsters.”
“They are pieces made out of old barn wood and used parts from machinery,” she said.
Other unique items included small framed pages from her grandmother’s dictionary.
“It’s a dictionary from 1933 that was headed for the landfill and I’ve used it to create art,” she said. “I have a soft spot in my heart for things that others might see as trash.”
Many artists displayed their work including first place winner in the painting/drawing category of the Mattoon Street Art Festival Awilda Oxios.
Oxios, of Springfield, has been participating in the festival for a decade.
“For me it’s like a two day vacation. I get to interact with people who love and appreciate art and I also get to see a dog show because everyone brings their exquisite pets,” she said.
The festival also included musicians and food from local vendors including Cache Piña Colada , Mexitalia, Elke’s Catering, April’s Wings N’ Things and Crepes Tea House.