OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - “To me, art is Ocean Springs,” said Vicki Reynolds, an artist.
Like her city, art is what identifies Reynolds.
“It relaxes me. It’s something I enjoy doing, and I can express myself and I can go in there and make something that nobody else is making.”
Reynolds’ painting of animals and other vivid scenes will be displayed in one of the 250 booths set up during the 33rd annual Spring Arts Festival, a spring tradition organized by the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce for more than three decades.
“Meeting all the vendors and working with the vendors, it takes us about six months to plan this festival,” said Cynthia Sutton, CEO of Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce & Main Street.
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Reynolds discovered Ocean Springs the way many artists do, through the Peter Anderson Festival. Almost 25 years ago, she came to show off her work.
“I was living in Texas at the time, and I wanted some place that was artsy,” said Reynolds. “I came down and did the show. I rented an Airbnb. Afterwards, I stayed for two days, then I went home and put my house up for sale.”
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Since then, she has been a leader in the city’s artistic scene. Reynolds has served as president of the Ocean Springs Art Association and the Singing River Art Association, as well as instructing a wide variety of classes. She’s always staying busy working on pieces to be displayed during the Peter Anderson Festival in the fall and, five months later, the Spring Arts Festival.
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For artists like Reynolds, the Spring Arts Festival fills a different role than the massive Peter Anderson event in the fall. It’s more personal and more accessible, also including food, music, plants and children’s activities.
“The Peter Anderson Festival is so big that sometimes, people don’t get to see everything because it’s so crowded,” explained Reynolds. “The spring show is more relaxed. You get everything and get to talk to more people.”
“Everybody loves art in Ocean Springs,” said Sutton. “They think it just oozes out of every corner. Turning the Spring Arts Festival, what used to be a herb and garden festival, into an arts show inviting those high-quality artists has really helped us grow it.”
It’s growing in a big way. Around 40,000 visitors are expected to attend.
“I think [the festival] is going to be around for a long, long time,” said Reynolds.
The Spring Arts Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, March 28-29, in downtown Ocean Springs.
For more information, visit oceanspringschamber.com.
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