A Summer Festival That Brings the St. Paul Community Together: Art In The Hollow By Annie Stefanko As June of 2023 was rolling around the corner, the sun gleamed brighter than ever and the air felt as sticky as honey. This summer was going to be a hot one, but it would be memorable since my childhood best friend was traveling to visit me. I was determined to find something for us to do, preferably something fun outside, but nothing that would cause us to die from heat exhaustion. In a simple Google search, I came across a public event called, Art In The Hollow. According to the Ramsey County Historical Society, Art In The Hollow was the “best hidden art festival in Minnesota.” On June 3, taking place at Swede Hollow Park in St. Paul, over 100 artists would be featured along with a painting workshop open to attendees. There would also be live musical and dance performances. The website recommended attendees park at St. Paul Brewing. So, as I drove up highway 35E, I pictured a large parking lot filled with white tents, food trucks, and crowds of people. However, as we approached the building, there was a cramped parking lot of cars. Some people seemed to be walking into the brewery for a drink or along an alleyway past the buildings. My friend and I looked at each other with confusion, questioning if the art festival even existed. Our eyes lit up when we saw a few people emerging from the alleyway carrying plastic bags, wrapped picture frames, and clay pots. Scurrying towards the direction they appeared from, we stumbled upon a paper sign, tapped onto a rusty desk, with big bold letters that said, “Art In The Hollow.” Beneath the large print were arrows pointing forward, leading us down a long shaded path. The bright green trees swayed in the wind, almost like they were leading us down the path. A glowing orange monarch butterfly fluttered past our heads, disappearing into the baby blue sky. Fuzzy grey squirrels scurried by our feet, appearing as if they wanted to see what the ruckus was. I could hear voices nearby, the sounds of laughter and children screaming with joy. Something exciting was waiting ahead of us. In a sneaky manner, we trailed behind the people in front of us, hoping they would lead us to the correct location. As they turned a corner, we followed. Then, we were greeted by warm, open smiles from Art In The Hollow staff members. Along a wall of trees, vendors were lined up, huddled underneath white tents hiding from the sunlight. Groups of people gathered under each tent, contemplating which piece of art they should purchase. A few folks walked around with their bulky Sony cameras, capturing the thriving nature and unique art. I knew I was going to take my time looking at every stand. There was so much art to admire, there was passion and unique stories behind the artwork. I stopped to look at one stand selling bookmarks. Not just paper or plastic bookmarks, special sorts of pins decorated with beads and charms. Some had darling little animal charms like cats, birds, and bears. There were a wide variety of patterned beads: transparent purple, marble red, ladybug-patterned, a golden brown with black stripes, a raspberry-colored moon. Any and all varieties of beads meant to suit its readers. Picture of bookmark charms. Photo taken by me. We walked down a little further before stopping at one stand selling glass paintings. One picture captured a fragile red and white cottage surrounded by bushes of red berries. Each berry and leaf was carefully placed around the home. The glass paintings sparkled as the sun beat down on us. I was eager to buy one and hang it near my bedroom window, but I restrained my temptation. Hand-made glass paintings and trays. Photo taken by me. To reduce time, we made quick stops at each stand since we weren’t certain how many more booths there were. However, the repetitive sound of clapping and cheering followed by the pounding of music filled the air. Curious about the excitement, we followed the voices and stumbled upon a performance. There was a stage in the middle of the park where indigenous dancers were performing. People were huddled around them with their cameras out, swaying along to the beat of the music. Pausing in my tracks, I couldn't look away from their regalia: red and orange feathers tucked in their headpieces, brightly beaded cuffs wrapped around their wrists, rattles with feathers dancing along with their movement. Surrounding the performers was a new section of vendors, a new style of art. Surely, this was the last portion of the festival. Until, we uncovered another trail of vendors leading down the park. We couldn’t leave now though; we made it so far. The scorching heat would not stop us. There was a wide array of artwork at each stand. People were selling hand-made pots, trays, and paintings. One particular vendor sold delicious looking cake-themed ashtrays. Another vendor had hand-made quilts and pillow covers for sale. Several artists sold earrings, necklaces, charm bracelets, and rings—my eyes were drawn to all the glimmering jewelry. Picture of cake ashtrays presented by Lou. Photo taken by me. About a mile later, my friend and I finally made it to the end of the line. We were ready to go home and sit in a nice air-conditioned house. Droplets of sweat trickled down the nape of my neck and streamed down my back. As my black hair soaked up the sunlight, I could feel my body getting sticky from the mix of sweat and the spray-on sunscreen. It was impossible to escape the heat. We walked out of Swede Hollow Park with our tote bags cramped with jewelry, paintings, and petite clay pots. I left, pondering the idea of whether I should have bought more art. All the vendors brought their own special artwork that you couldn’t find in any mall. I was determined to come back next year. Behind the Scenes of Art In The Hollow In 2010, Art In The Hollow–AITH– emerged as a senior class project at the Twin Cities Academy High School. The students were looking to create a project that supported the St. Paul community. The senior class collaborated with Karen Dupaul, a community organizer and member of Friends of Swede Hollow, and Romi Slowiak, an urban planner. Together, they discussed what needed to be done such as fundraising, promotion, and contacting artists. The students were able to put together a successful art festival and fundraiser. They raised around $500. In an interview with Romi Slowiak, she recollected: “[These students] did a great job. I thought, yeah this is great.” However, when the class graduated, the next senior art class wanted to design a new project. “This left Karen and I doing the festival. So, I started writing grants for funding,” Slowiak said. The planning process fell into the hands of Dupaul, Slowiak, and Friends of Swede Hollow. Slowiak worked on raising funds by writing grants for Minnesota organizations in order to support the artists and post advertisements. Dupaul formed Friends of Swede Hollow in 1994: a small neighborhood group committed to protecting Swede Hollow Park. This group provided crucial assistance for the festival by helping set up tables, decorations, and stages in the park. Before the iconic name we know today, they originally named it “Swede Hollow Plein Air Festival.” This title translates to “open air” in French. The event was about demonstration: artists created their art in front of audiences. Jewelers, ceramicists and painters would come together and demonstrate the process of creating their renowned art. The festival initially opened with a mariachi band and other performing artists. A street festival would take place where the performers would make their way down to the tunnel in Swede Hollow Park and onto a stage. Slowiak reflected on how this was a clarion call to the neighborhoods along Payne Avenue. Slowiak and Dupaul ran the festival until 2019. Slowiak went on to serve as a board member of the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society and Dupaul continued to work as a community organizer for Friends of Swede Hollow. Now, there are four co-directors running AITH along with the—continued— assistance of Friends of Swede Hollow as a fiscal sponsor. This event is recognized as a grassroots art festival, run by artist cooperatives, aiming to represent the east side: the St. Paul community. Aside from the official co-directors, there are other members who help run the festival and attend planning meetings. However, all the staff of AITH are–and have always been–volunteers from the Minnesota community. Any profits or donations they receive are used to pay their performers or purchase tables, tents, and advertising. One member, Benjamin Mason, is the communications specialist for AITH. Before he joined the team, his wife would attend the event as an art vendor. Soon enough, his connection to the festival grew and he joined the board of co-directors in 2018. “As a communications co-director, I love just being in touch with the artists,” Mason said. “It’s rewarding to see [the artists] have their own set up and put their art out there.” Some of the directors, early on, attended AITH as artists. Another member, Elizabeth Wakefield, started off selling her sketches and paintings at the festival. Overtime, she got more involved with the event and joined the team in 2019. Wakefield helps run the website, collects data, and manages the financial aspects. Wakefield is very proud of how AITH supports their artists. For her, this was the first festival she appeared in as a vendor. She valued the accessibility that was provided for artists that came from all levels. “Because this is accessible to all the artists, this makes it easy for all people to come look at art and purchase art,” Wakefield said. There are many art festivals around Minnesota, but typically they charge an entrance fee or sell expensive tickets. However, AITH is free of charge and is low-cost for artists to attend. Whether or not someone is just starting out as an artist, they are highly encouraged to showcase their artwork at AITH. Youth artists have sold their artwork at the festival and this allows them to start their journey of becoming a notable creator. AITH continues to expand its reach to the Minnesota community. In earlier years, they’ve had 50 vendors attend the event. Over the past few years, the attraction has increased and more people have gotten involved. In 2023, it was estimated they had around 175 artist booths and 2,000 attendees. For future events, they look to accommodate the increasing number of visitors—by adding more bathrooms, refreshments, and stages—in order to keep AITH available. The East side of the Twin Cities is an underrepresented community in Minnesota. The St. Paul community comes together to bring the magical essence of AITH to life in Swede Hollow Park. “We think of this as a magical experience,” Mason said. “It’s kind of a work of art in itself. We are trying to create an engaging experience for people that really showcases the diversity of talent here in the neighborhood.”