Midwest Artists Form Modern Gypsy Caravan

A group of Ohio artists in Canton, Ohio have turned the old tradition of gypsy caravanning into a new art form. By holding traveling art festivals in a different county park or private business lot every week throughout the spring and summer, they have become the modern day equivalent of gypsies.

Ronni Marcinkowey of Tranotnac Collective is excited about this year's potential. "We have a following, quite literally! People ask us at every show, 'Where are you going to be next week?' then they show up there. Sometimes to get something they were on the fence about last week,or to see what we might have that is new. Maybe they just like the music!"

Whatever the reason, the artists of Tranotnac Collective have embraced their following and their lifestyle. "We are never too far from home or from a friend's house so it's not like we live in covered wagons or anything...but that would be fun." says one artist, who asked to remain unnamed. Her works include a string of fish made from the legs of worn out jeans and a primitive painting made on seven layers of ironed grocery bags. She smiles as she watches kids touch her pieces...all made from garbage. (She assures us that everything she uses is clean and safe.) "It's a great place to be...every place we go is a great place to be."

Art at a Tranotnac festival ranges from black and white photographs of buildings shaped like food, to seven foot room dividers painted in fantastic colors and shapes, with silver jewelry, charcoal sketches, posters and pottery mixed in for variety. Each show is different, as the group collects artists along the way, and prior commitments exclude some regulars from some shows.

"I came back for this guitar sketch that I saw last week but the guy who did it isn't here this week." A customer complains to Shane Howard, the Festival Manager. Howard gives him the artist's card, takes his name and number, and hands him a schedule. If you can't reach him at that email address, come back next week!" he suggests.

From the looks of things there are many return customers, one woman struggles with a 6'x3' painting and mumbles something about getting it into her car as Howard excuses himself and hurries to offer to help. The atmosphere is one of cooperation as one artist asks another to "man his station" and takes the other end of the painting.

The Tranotnac Festival runs Saturday mornings April 3^rd to October 2^nd this year, contact information can be found at Tranotnac.com.