Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette photos The Umoja African Arts Company performs a selection of West African drumming and dancing at the third annual African Arts in the Park Festival sponsored by the company in Mellon Park.

By Lynda Guydon Taylor
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Art lovers could choose from a trio of festivals in Shadyside over the weekend and enjoy pleasant weather, too -- a high of 81 degrees, minus the humidity that often hangs over the region this time of year.

Over and over again, festival-goers pronounced the weather "fantastic, beautiful, fabulous."

Giant backpack puppets from Pittsburgh Roars! greet visitors attending the Shadyside -- The Arts Festival on Walnut Street. Click photo for larger image.

According to Roger Stairs, a National Weather Service meteorologist, yesterday's weather was fairly typical for a summer day. While high temperatures and humidity seemed to dog Pittsburgh the last week of July and first week in August, yesterday was a late summer dream.

July was slightly warmer than normal by 0.8 degree and June averaged 2.2 degrees below normal -- adding up to a summer a tad below normal by 0.7 degree, Mr. Stairs said.

But once heat and humidity strike, "people forget about that pretty quickly," Mr. Stairs said.

Yesterday, however, was "pretty perfect except when things blow around," said Debbie Swerdlow, who with her sister, Naomi Swerdlow, manned the Sierra Club booth at Shadyside -- The Arts Festival on Ellsworth. By about 1 p.m., the sisters had signed up six volunteers.

That may have been indicative of the sparse crowd on Ellsworth. A block away from the Sierra Club booth, about a dozen people listened to Flo Blume and Dom Yobbi, a guitarist and drummer, on the sound stage. Seating could easily have accommodated about 100.

A dearth of foot traffic on Ellsworth Avenue, which was decorated with chalk artwork, disappointed Donna Arndt, 53, of Shadyside, who said, "there's music and not much else." She faulted the '90s feud that split the Shadyside Arts Festival into two venues.

Street musician Kimberly Faught uses an alley way off Walnut Street as her stage to entertain the crowd attending Shadyside -- The Arts Festival on Walnut Street. Click photo for larger image.

That seemed not to bother Cathy Gazzo, 52, of Wilkinsburg, however. She comes every year and likes Ellsworth because there is more room to maneuver. Ms. Gazzo clutched a purple embroidered change purse she bought for her mother.

Staged a few blocks away was Shadyside -- The Art Festival on Walnut Street and a mile or two away in Mellon Park was the African Arts in the Park Festival.

On Walnut, the grande dame of August arts festivals, the crowd was decidedly shoulder-to-shoulder. People jammed the sidewalk, pausing now and then to view works of art mounted in kiosks.

"Everyone here likes to talk. They're interested in what you're doing," which makes it nice, said Chandra Stubbs, 38, who travels from Sawyer, Mich., to show her ceramic pieces.

Curtis G. Woody, 56, of Upper Marlboro, Md., a pen-and-ink artist, said the traffic had been good.

"The weather is much better" than last year when it was hot and muggy, Mr. Woody said.

Jason Jacobetz, 31, of Shadyside, said the only thing that disappointed him was that other arts venues such as the Benedum Center did not take advantage of the opportunity to promote themselves. The Walnut Street festival, he said, is a perfect opportunity to get people's attention about programs throughout the city.

Aundrea Williams, 6, of East Pittsburgh, plays with the African mask she made yesterday at the Children's Hut at third annual African Arts in the Park Festival sponsored by the Umoja Aftrican Arts Company in Mellon Park. At left is Aundrea's cousin, Linford Jones, 7, of Homewood. Click photo for larger image.

Umoja African Arts Company started the youngest of the three festivals three years ago. African Arts in the Park moved from Schenley Park to Mellon Park this year for a more accessible location, said Rae Reynolds, 35, president of the board of festival organizer Umoja.

Early in the day, the five-member band Eviction Notice played to a small but attentive crowd. Seated in lawn chairs, Frances Maben, 61, of Penn Hills, and a friend enjoyed the music.

"I look forward to it every year," said Ms. Maben, who enjoys the chance for African Americans to exhibit their gifts, talents and skills. She also appreciated the feeling of unity the festival promotes. Umoja is Swahili for "unity," one of the seven principles honored during Kwanzaa.

Wilson Perry, 45, and his wife, Maria, 40, along with their niece, Carley Fair, 17 months, attended for the second year in a row, this time as vendor photographers. Under the name Capturing the Moments Inc., the East Liberty couple photographed people in front of an Afro-centric background using African-inspired cloth and scenery.

"I thought it was nice," Mr. Perry said of the festival.

The Tres Rios Flamencos dance troupe performs a variety of flamenco dancing at Shadyside -- The Arts Festival on Ellsworth.