Art displays and musical performances took over Esther Short Park as the second annual Vancouver USA Arts & Music Festival kicked off Friday. The three-day festival is expected to draw a stream of visitors downtown. An estimated 30,000 people visited last year’s event, which is organized by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the city of Vancouver. Near the main stage at the center of Esther Short Park, the Vietnamese Community of Clark County played musical instruments as other members performed the lion dance. Two lions — each a costume inhabited by two dancers — weaved their way through the crowd. The weekend will feature 40 live performances on three different stages. Works by 110 artists are spread throughout the park, including a line of booths that stretches between Sixth Street and Phil Arnold Way. The artwork includes glass-blown pieces fused with metal, photography, watercolor and acrylic paintings.

Watercolorist Bonnie White displayed her paintings of endangered species, natural elements and landscapes. This is her first time participating in the festival as a vendor. White lives in White Salmon and takes photos of nature in the Columbia River Gorge. “This is a northern goshawk,” she said, pointing to one of her paintings. “I took that photo (from my yard) and painted it.” Across the festival grounds, Hillary Kent, owner and founder of Hill Yeah! Eco Art Studio, demonstrated how she creates paints from all-natural ingredients, including coffee.

“The easiest way is just to grab a cup of espresso, drink some, or maybe grab two cups, one to drink and one to paint, and then you can just dip your brush right into the espresso,” Kent said. Throughout the weekend, she plans to paint a bouquet on a large canvas so those who visit her booth can watch a work in progress. “Each paint has a different process depending on what end result paint you want, whether it’s watercolor, acrylic or oil,” Kent said. “You first isolate the pigments. There are many different natural sources of pigment, from rocks to roots to flowers. Even some bugs are traditionally used for paint.” The festival has drawn people from around town, as well as from out of state. Susan Harrington is visiting from Cleveland and happened upon the event after getting her hair cut. “I saw there was an art festival, and I haven’t been to one this summer,” she said. “I’m a makeup artist, and I love art.”

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