Zanesville's Y Bridge Arts Festival showcases local artists such as Patty Bright

ZANESVILLE − Patty Bright grew up on a farm watching her mother, local artist Shirley Lumbatis, paint beautiful works of art.“There was always something creative going on in,” said Bright, who owns Happy Flat Studio. “It was hard not to catch that bug.”Bright took art in high school but no formal training beyond that, instead working full time and creating her signature mosaic style in her personal time.

“I needed that creative outlet,” said Bright, who lives in Nashport and calls the Zanesville-area her artist home.And now, Bright and her mother travel to get Bright’s art supplies and attend shows together.“We’re seldom apart at these shows,” said Bright. “Although she’s not as active as she used to be, she’s with me and is very supportive.”And she will be again at this year’s Y Bridge Arts Festival hosted by the Artist Colony of Zanesville (ArtCoz) Aug. 2-3, at Fourth and Shinnick streets. The event runs from 2 to 11 p.m. Aug. 2 and will close with the Big Fat Dog Blues Band, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 3 with the Groove Band closing out the event. Additionally, Matesich Distribution and Weasel Boy Brewing Company will provide the drinks and food trucks will be available.

“My Mom and I have been with the Y Bridge show since the very first one,” said Bright. “We love the amount of foot traffic and the variety of art. It’s a big attraction for us. And it’s local and we can support our local art community because we certainly get a lot of support from them. I love the entertainment too. It’s fantastic.”The other artists represented at the Y Bridge Festival will include Amy Schlabach, Anthony Massie, Azura Hawk-Ammon, Barbara White, Beth Fineran, Carol Wallenfelsz, Catherine Holley, Christina Gibson, Cindy Bond, Debra Haines, Elaine Balsley, Emily Andrews, Gary Felumlee, Hancock Family, Jessica Rohr, Jon Shaeffer, Katy Lestock, Lynn Hartsock, Miriam Miller, Sean Fennell, Todd Burdine, Bonnie Korcok, Katie Pratt, Rosemary Ludt, Jessica Spires, Ken McCollum, Molly Emery, Misty Johnson, Bob Grayson, Rachel Baughman, Britni Ross, Eva Moyer, Kelsey Price, and Patsy Spencer.

Bright said she’ll have a couple new pieces for customers and new visitors to check out.“I will have a mosaiced floor lamp in addition to a couple other table lamps, some mosaic picture frames, and some garden stones,” she said. “The stones are decorative and you can lay them around in your flower beds.”

Bright said her art is meant to be a reflection of nature.“I really like to represent the wonders of the natural and spiritual worlds through my work.” Bright said she started out in stained glass about 25 years ago before switching over to mosaics. “I use various broken vintage dishes and figurines,” said Bright. “I find them at yard sales and thrift stores; and I use ceramic tiles I make in my own kiln.”She said every piece she makes is completely different from the next.“Most of them are indoor wall art pieces,” she said. “My most popular piece is a 3 ½-inch square piece that can hang on a wall or fit on a windowsill.”She said she’s done much larger pieces like back splashes.“And I’m doing a piece for the Y Bridge; a vintage, floor lamp that’s 4-feet tall that I’m mosaicing that,” she said.

She said many mosaic artists cut pieces of their plates or tiles specifically for what they need, but her one of a kind look can be attributed to her process of creating the pieces.“When I come home from a day of thrifting, I unload my car and I usually spend a day at a time processing,” she said, which is artists speak for randomly breaking the pieces. “I break every single piece into a variety of shapes and pieces. I have tubs of pieces I use for my palette. There’s a lot of digging and broken fingernails. It’s really fun and it’s addictive.”But most importantly, her artistic vision is able to come to life thanks to a loving network of people.“I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a really supportive network of family and friends.”Learn more about the Y Bridge Arts Festival at Artcoz.org .

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Zanesville's Y Bridge Arts Festival showcases local artists such as Patty Bright