BLOOMINGTON — A Bloomington-based art festival has wrapped up a weekend of live painting and fundraising for a Normal arts nonprofit. The second annual DerpFest hosted 20 artists for 48 hours of creating visual arts in acrylic, oil water, soft pastel and collage at the Hangar Art Co. Creators were tasked with making a new piece of art in 48 hours, beginning at 10 a.
m. Friday and ending at 10 a.m.
Sunday. Finished pieces will be made available for purchase through an online auction running Monday through Friday, hosted at the Illinois Art Station’s website, illinoisartstation.org/derpfest .
Proceeds of each piece will be halfway split between artists and the Illinois Art Station, a nonprofit that’s committed to providing transformative art experiences for young artists and families form all neighborhoods and backgrounds. Items will also be displayed at The Hangar Art Co. gallery through April’s First Fridays event.
In an interview at the end of the event, The Hangar Art Co. owner, Santino Lamancusa, said he’s constantly surprised by the talent the festival brings in. He also said the creative setting of the event in his art gallery is “full immersion” for participating artists.
Lamancusa compared it to a restaurant that places seating by a small kitchen area to help show the work that goes on. “A lot of people don’t always get to this side of the art process, a chance to see how it actually transforms and talk to artist while they’re doing it,” Lamancusa .