By SALINA POST
Due to gusting winds and lighting Festival activities, vendors and performances will be suspended at 4 p.m. for a short period of time while the storm passes. All activities will resume 30 minutes after conditions subside. At their discretion, attendees are free to leave utilizing any of the exits by foot or through Mulberry gate by vehicle.
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By COLETTE STRASNER
Salina Post Contributor
This weekend’s Smoky Hill River Festival provides an amazing venue for artists of all kinds to gather and present their work in Salina. Salina Post sat down with several of the event artists to give you a closer look into the individuals behind the works presented at the event.
Devin Johnson, artist, and owner of Makeshift Accessories, traveled all the way from Northfield, Minn. to participate in the festival. This year marked Johnson’s first time joining in the Smoky Hill River Festival.
Makeshift Accessories started in 2008, with a unique concept of forging art and accessories by recycling industrial and cultural artifacts: antique bronze machinery, copper wire, and century-old harness leather, just to name a few. The event stuck out to Johnson for its variety of attractions as well as a large turnout for an urban center.
“One thing that’s different about it is that it’s by far the biggest thing going on in the entire town right now,” said Johnson.
Johnson made note of the excitement and chatter surrounding the event as he went out to dinner after Thursday’s festivities.
“That’s all anyone was talking about at the bar,” Johnson said.
Jen Unekis, winner of the Smoky Hill River Festival’s purchase award and artist from Lawrence, KS, spoke of her experience with the event as well. This year’s event was her fourth time participating in the Smoky Hill River Festival.
“I think Salina has just a really great art community, everybody seems to come out and your volunteers are amazing … I coordinate Art in the Park in Lawrence, so I see it from the backside. It’s really, really cool to just see how well organized it is,” Unekis said.
Currently located in Lawrence, Unekis moved to the state from California. Her father moved them to a farmhouse in rural Kansas when she was just four years old. When she was in high school, Unekis’ art teacher told her that she was not college material.
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Despite her teacher’s discouragement, Unekis got her start as an artist studying ceramics before moving to multimedia assemblage pieces. She eventually came full circle, painting her works on ceramics, specifically Venetian plaster.
Her pieces are painted with several different tools, from airbrushes to glass pencils, to capture the inspiration she feels from children’s drawings. Unekis uses these mediums as well as recognizable shapes in an abstract way to capture a unique feeling of nostalgia in her work.
While artists connected with patrons and community members, musicians jammed out on three stages at the festival.
Becky Bliss, member of the band Barnaby Bright, shared some details on her band’s history. Based out of the Kansas City area, Barnaby Bright is an indie folk-rock group that performed Friday night on the Eric Stein Stage.
While Bliss described her group’s sound as indie folk-rock, she also felt that was simplifying things.
“Americana is what we’re deeply rooted in, but we’d like to push the boundaries a little bit,” Bliss said.
Barnaby Bliss released their first album in 2009 and their most recent record, a Christmas album, in 2020.
“Well, if you want to check us out, it’s barnabybright.com, and Barnaby Bright is actually the medieval English word for the summer solstice, June 21,” Bliss said.
The group came to the Smoky Hill River Festival at the recommendation of long-time event participant Brandon Draper, a member of other groups, Draper Family Band and Drum Safari.
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Originally from Houston, Texas, musician Scott Mulvahill wowed audience members with his unconventional approach to playing the bass. Despite his extensive background in jazz bass from college, he initially wrote songs influenced by those who used guitar and piano.
“I was doing a tour with Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby, and I was playing bass in the band, and this was like ten years ago, but I asked Bruce, ‘Hey, would you listen to some of the songs I’m working on. And Bruce was like, ‘Sure, man,'” Mulvahill said. ” I wasn’t even playing bass. because most of my heroes wrote songs on guitar and piano and stuff.
Mulvahill said that after his conversation with Hornsby, Mulvahill started writing songs on the bass.
“When we had that conversation, he [Hornsby] was like, ‘Man, you should really like to try to reach for something more you,'” Mulvahill said. “I already had been writing songs and already been singing, but I kind of had two careers in a way that was like two personalities. I was the Bass Player side guy and then and then I liked writing songs, but I didn’t put the two together until after that conversation. It was like a lightbulb thing.”
The many talented artists and musicians at the Smoky Hill River Festival are a driving force for people to come out to the event. Salina Post spoke with brothers Nathaniel and Atticus Reynolds, on their relationship with the festival.
Atticus, 14, from Salina, has been coming to the Smoky Hill River Festival since he was four years old. His favorite band this weekend was Draper Family Band, a father-and-son group led by Salina natives Paul and Brandon Draper.
The Drapers have a unique musical sound that combines blues, rock, funk and alt-country. Their 30 years of performances led to Draper Family Band being inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2020.
Nathaniel, 12, from Salina, particularly enjoys walking around the festival to view the artist booths. Together, the brothers enjoy experiencing the Smoky Hill River Festival with their friends as well.
Salina residents weren’t the only ones soaking in the rays and wide variety of food and music. Fred Beissner, 27, and Sofia Fiscal, 28, a couple from Los Angeles, flew into Kansas this week so they could attend the Smoky Hill River Festival.
“My dad grew up here and he has a house here within walking distance of the park,” Beissner said. “We’re also visiting with some family while we are here.”
This year marks Fred’s fifth festival, and Sofia’s first.
“I would say the food vendors and all the art definitely is my favorite part of the festival,” Beissner said.
Saturday, June 15 marks the third day of the Smoky Hill River Festival. There are still plenty of performances, food, and art to experience before the festival closes at the end of the day on Sunday, June 16.
Don’t miss this chance to take part in the some of the best that Salina has to offer.
For more information check out riverfestival.com
