Local 'Aht'-ists show off diverse talents

As tattoo artists engraved the bodies of brave Bostonians over in the South End this weekend, another diverse collection of local artists converged on Christopher Columbus Park to further prove the city's creative worth.

More than 70 local artists took part in the fifth annual Ahts Boston Arts Festival on Saturday and Sunday. The festival, which marks the beginning of Boston's art season, showcased various types of visual and performing arts, ranging from jewelry-making and glass-blowing to cabaret music and performances by the Boston Pops and the Boston Ballet.

"[The event] is very rewarding," said festival director Julie Burns. "Ahts is a great opportunity for our visual artists to display their work for an audience they normally wouldn't have access to, and our performing artists get a really great response from the crowds. "

Burns said transforming Columbus Park into one of the largest outdoor arts festivals in Boston is a yearlong project.

"We're going to start planning next year's event the day after this one finishes, and it takes literally all year," she said. "Although there's an extreme amount of work put into the festival, it's absolutely worth it."

Mayor Thomas Menino praised the festival in a statement on the Ahts website.

"I am proud to say that [the Arts Festival] has become one of the most anticipated events in Boston's annual arts calendar," Menino said. "Our city is home to so many gifted visual and performing artists, and we look forward to celebrating their talent and work."

Festival attendees said they enjoyed the event's setting as well as the accessibility of performers, designers and craftsmen.

"I used to be an artist myself a lifetime ago," said Cynthia Close. "It's been a long time since I've seen the waterfront, so it's very nice to get down here. I don't know if it's the heat or something else, but there's a very relaxed atmosphere. It's nice to have such direct contact with the local artists."

While adults were able to peruse and purchase the artists' handmade jewelry, photographs, paintings and sculptures, children, too, found activities and art geared toward a younger set, such as animal-themed glass displays.

"The pieces I have the most fun making are these chicken and duck sculptures for kids," said glass blower Jesse Rasid. "Each one has a unique expression. For example, some have big goofy mouths while others have really big eyes or different facial expressions. They're also made of much thicker glass than my other pieces, so they can take a beating."