By Danielle Coots

For the News-Current

BEAVERCREEK — Decoy Art Studio and Just Say It (JSI) have joined forces with Infusion and Greene Giving this year to bring the community together during a day of everything inspired by local artists. Through classes, demonstrations, and dancers to music, the event will offer a wide range of creative submissions. Artfest will take place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18 at Community Park on Factory Road.

“We [Infusion, Decoy Art Studio and JSI] are endowment accounts under Greene Giving that focuses on art education working with the youth and young adults of the Miami Valley region. ArtFest is a big event that Infusion is putting on where people can meet other organizations, other artists and just a way to connect all of the creativity. It’s not just visual; it’s music, performances and anything else that’s creative. We’re even talking to sand sculptures,” Co-chair and founder of Infusion and owner of Decoy Art Studio Tabitha Guidone said.

Artfest is expecting more than 70 creative vendors and more than 1,000 visitors. Booths will include anything from “make and take” projects, interactive booths, sewing, painting, soap making, fiber arts, etc. The Girl Scouts from the north and south will be working on an interactive art piece that will be finished at the end of the event.

Some of the vendors will include: Needle, Ink and Thread; Patrick Woehl Aspiring Art; Knit the Day Away; Redolfi Fiber Fantasies; Rosewood Arts Centre; Cake, Hope, and Love; and Danielle DeBorde Photography. Money raised and left over from Artfest will help Infusion with different art projects that will go on throughout the year.

“Danielle (Deramo of JSI) and I are both co-chairs and founders of the events because we’ve been talking about pulling together for an arts festival for Beavercreek for several years,” said Guidone. “Beavercreek hasn’t really had anything like this in the area. Before, it was an issue of space and where to have it. But now, we have the perfect place. So, this will be a double whammy for people because they can experience the beauty of the park and see and learn something new in the process.”

Infusion is a traveling, non-profit organization that offers artistic education and classes. Some may be held at Decoy Art Studio. They’re two separate art entities that work together.

“Infusion allows children to get art classes where maybe art funding has been cut from their schools,” Deramo, brand and strategy director of JSI, said. “JSI has donated everything marketing. Everyone just pulled together our resources. We asked, how can this happen and how can we benefit local artist who basically go unknown. We have so many talented people in this community.”

Since the event is a family friendly event, picnic blankets will be spread throughout to encourage family-time. Affordable booth fees were available to local artists who normally couldn’t afford it. The booths will be judged for prizes by Tabatha Wharton, Lisa Seibert and Michael Roediger, director of the Dayton Art Institute.

“It’s very important to give recognition to everyone involved because it’s a lot of hard work to get this all together,” said Deramo. “The event is sponsored by Soin Medical Center, Kettering Health Network, Decoy Art Studio, JSI, and Incenta Federal Credit Union.

Parking will be available at Nutter Park on Factory Road, near the bike path for easy access to Community Park. For more information regarding Infusion, visit Infusion-art.org/artfest or call 937-306-7677.

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Danielle Coots is a freelance writer for Greene County News.