Celebrate Independence Day early at the Falmouth Art Market on Tuesday, July 2, 11 AM until 5 PM, at Falmouth Marine Park, 180 Scranton Avenue. There will be over 25 creative artists, live music, a Meet the Author booth, delicacies from the Filling Station Food Truck, and ice cream from Sea Scoops. The event continues every Tuesday throughout the summer.
The Olivia Yingling Trio, with vocalist Olivia Yingling, Greg Polanik on guitar, and Phil McManus on saxophone, will perform jazz, bossa nova, and Afro-Cuban music from 2 to 4 PM.
Olivia Yingling began singing in high school, when her grandfather noticed her talents and told her “You’d be really good at jazz.” She joined the jazz choir while at Cape Cod Community College and sang karaoke to hone her skills, but singing did not really become a passion for her until a couple of years ago when she was in her late 20s. “Once I really started to sing, I fell in love with it,” she said.
In addition to her trio, she now performs in Bongogenesis, an Afro-Cuban group; Cognitive Dissonance, a jazz quintet that played recently at ArtsFalmouth’s Arts Alive; and various combos with various musicians across the Cape. “Music is great on the Cape,” she said. “You meet a couple of musicians, and then, through them, you meet many others.”
Yingling loves singing. “You can express yourself emotionally and really connect with the audience, which is so important. I put my whole heart and soul into singing and being present with the music,” she said. Fluent in Spanish, she sings in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and enjoys improvising with Polanik and other band members.
Among the vendors who will be at the Art Market this summer is Amitola Tie Dyes, a family business that makes ice-dyed garments: caftans, sweatsuits, ponchos, t-shirts in adult sizes XS to 5X, harem pants, unitards, thigh high socks, children’s tank tops, dresses, baby sun hats, and 7-chakra prayer flag wall hangings, the latter made via batik and ice-dying. They use natural fibers and procion dyes, which create intense colors.
Amitola is a native American word for rainbow, which reflects not only the colors of the tie-dyed items, but also the shop owner’s Cherokee heritage. She has always felt connected to Native American history and to nature and has a strong sense of being present in the current moment.
“The rainbow is very important to me,” she said. “It is a symbol that everyone is equal, everyone is included; it has always been a symbol of connection and unity.”
Though ice-dying is relatively new for her, she has been involved with drawing and painting, quilting, and other arts her whole life, valuing the process as well as the final product.
Amitola Tie Dyes uses dry powdered procion dyes in 79 distinct colors. The ice-dying process is much more time-consuming than simple tie-dying, requiring multiple steps and several days to complete. “The ice gives it a marbled, effect, somewhat like stone,” she said. The process can be used to create highly geometric, as well as random, effects.
“With ice-dying, the art reveals itself to me,” she said. “You never know exactly where the dyes are going to travel.” She values art as an expression of the self and for the connection it gives her with others.
The featured author is Joseph C. Salvo, whose book, “I Wiggled My Toes. . . Hallelujah!” is about his recovery from a meningioma (brain) tumor and subsequent surgery. He was told he would never walk again, but, as he writes, “with fortitude, God’s help, support from family and friends, and an excellent medical team, anything is possible” and miracles do happen.
The Art Market takes place in Falmouth Marine Park, on the far side of the Band Shell, under the trees near the Flying Bridge restaurant. Proceeds from the Art Market help support the Falmouth Cultural Council, which offers small grants to individuals and organizations.
For a full list of artisans, musicians, and authors, visit Falmouthartmarket.com.
Notes on The Arts 