Celebrating women in art

For 34 years, the Central Coast’s most creative women have come together in celebration of their art, craft and sound.

On Saturday, August 9, the celebration begins anew as the Day with Creative Women returns to Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo.

The fundraiser, which benefits the Women’s Community Center, is set to have over 100 local women at booths selling homemade products.

“Women are very creative and some of the things you are going to see there are of a wide variety,” said event coordinator Angie King.

She said the event began in the ’70s as a way for local female artists to show off their work.

“We started in the dark ages of feminism,” King said. “We were definitely one of the first on the Central Coast to showcase female art.”

Eventually the art showcase turned into a festival where women could sell other arts and crafts they had made. King said the day was for this new era of artists working from home to show off their skills to a wide variety of people.

“Lots of women today are small business artists,” King said. “They do it out of the garage while watching the kids.”

The festival will be headlined by singer/songwriter Inga Swearingen, who is returning to the event after a 10-year absence.

Swearingen said she is honored to be performing for a good cause.

“It’s a really wonderful idea to bring women together and celebrate all these creative motivated women in our community,” Swearingen said.

Swearingen defines her music as a mixture of folk and jazz. After moving to Europe to study with vocalist Susanne Abbuehl, she attended Florida State’s acclaimed College of Music where she received her conducting master of music in performance degree.

Swearingen said the years away from the Central Coast have changed her musically from the more traditional folk days of her first performance at the festival 10 years ago to a jazzier style.

“I’m playing a set (at the festival) that is marrying the two styles,” Swearingen said. “A combination of what I’ve come from and where I’m going.”

Swearingen will be joined by bass player Elizabeth Riordin, and her sister Britta will perform vocal melodies.

“Elizabeth is one of the most inspiring musicians I have ever had the privilege of playing with,” Swearingen said on her Web site. “Her well-rounded technique gives her the wings to follow her heart musically.”

The festival will also include a petting zoo and a crafts table for children in attendance. In addition to Swearingen, Tribal Mozaic, a dance troupe, will perform in the morning, as well as a group of female steel drum players, the Chrome Addicts.

More than 3,000 people attended the festival last year and King said she hopes that number will be topped this year.

“It is a great afternoon day to be in Mission Plaza with friends and family,” King said. “You can stock up on Christmas presents that are unique while supporting women’s arts, and the Women’s Community Center.”