Illustrating Community: Drawn Together at Fairyland

By C.J. Hirschfield

Here at Fairyland, we love it when our various worlds collide. Or overlap. Or meld.

At our popular Turn the Page! children’s book festival, held in May, we got to know some fantastically talented artists and illustrators. Now six of them -- Wednesday Kirwan, Elisa Kleven, Michael Slack, Simone Shin, Emily Dove and Michael Wertz – will be joining us on Friday, Sept. 28, for our annual Drawn Together arts event, a grownups-only, after-hours celebration of local art and artists.

Making a MegaMatterhorn

By C.J. Hirschfield

Once upon a time—2006, to be exact—a wonderful artist named Mary Anne Kluth came to work at Children’s Fairyland as our set-restoration painter. (We always have a whimsical set that needs love, attention and brightening.) Who knew that someday Mary Anne would go on to create wildly fantastic and compelling “theme park collages”—and that her new MegaMatterhorn would be featured in our own Oakland Museum of California for a two-year exhibition? We couldn’t be more excited.

The MegaMatterhorn exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California. Photo: Mary Anne Kluth.

I recently asked Mary Anne whether her experience at Fairyland influenced her whole body of work. I was pleased by her answer: “That’s fair to say.”

Drawing Together

By C.J. Hirschfield

At Children’s Fairyland, we love artists and we love teachers. Oaklander Clare Szydlowski is both, and for the fourth consecutive year, she’ll be participating in our adults-only DrawnTogether event on Sept. 30.

That evening, Clare will be one of 50 local artists who will create Fairyland-inspired pieces as admiring guests look on. At the end of the evening, the art works will be sold for a flat $40 per piece; the proceeds will benefit our park and its programs for underserved kids.

Although the wine, music, tarot readings and fairy hair weaving are fun, it’s the opportunity to engage with talented artists that has made this such a popular event. Speaking from three years of experience, Clare says the feeling is mutual.