OK, even a Pine River Valley resident will admit it - "Gem Village" and "art festival" are not exactly synonymous.
But that's exactly where a big art festival took place Saturday, July 19.
The industrial and residential area on both sides of U.S. Highway 160 was transformed into an attraction for tourists and locals, with dozens of artists and artisans setting up booths in the parking lots or fields of nearby businesses.
It's called "Off the Beaten Path: an Arts Explosion" because the event just kept growing in its planning stages, said Karrie Sellke, the owner of Studio Sellke in Gem Village and one of the event organizers.
Most of the feedback on the event was positive, reported Ashleigh Tarkington, owner of the Billy Goat Saloon and another organizer for the event.
Two Bayfield artists - one who still lives here, one who moved to California, were set up near the Billy Goat.
Amber Malarsie, owner of A.M. Art, works a full-time day job, but loves creating art and jewelry in her free time.
"This is textured paper that I seal and assemble," she said of her glass tile pendants. She also will create a watercolor of a photograph of your home for the bargain price of $17.50 or $40.
Malarsie gave a thumbs up to the festival, saying it brought in a good mixture of visitors as well as area residents. "They're kind of walking and taking a tour to see everything, then coming back," she said of prospective customers.
