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Sunny skies greet 'Art in Bloom' By JESSICA SMITH Downtown Medford isn't the place you'd expect to see smudge pots. Yet there they were Saturday - 100 of them - filled with purple and white irises, yellow daffodils, and bright fuchsias to greet crowds at the city's first "Art in Bloom" festival. "It's pretty inspiring," said Teddie Hight, a Medford resident and painter. Hight joined others Saturday in Vogel Park for the art and crafts fair that continues today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The smudge pots - you might know them as orchard heaters - were created as a tribute to Sofu Teshigahara, who founded the ikebana Japanese flower art form a century ago. "The smudge pot has a beautiful form," said Flora Henningsen, who teaches ikebana classes locally and coordinated the outdoor display. "It felt very appropriate in Medford to use orchard heaters." The industrial heaters and the flowers illustrated perfectly the "yin and yang" of an economy that is becoming less dependent on orchards and agriculture, Henningsen said. "This is a wonderful indication of the valley's transition," she added. The flower-filled smudge pots were complemented by 45 artists booths - decorated mirrors, still photographs, watercolors, jewelry, glass designs and more - and a dozen florist stands. "There's a lot of good quality stuff," said Cory Piazzese, who was down from Portland for a visit. "And you couldn't ask for a better day." Russ Levin, one of the festival organizers, said he was glad Mother Nature cooperated with event planners. Sunny skies made some seek shade, but Levin and others said they were pleased to see people out and about downtown. "That's what we wanted," Levin said. "It's better than we ever could have imagined." Planners hope the event will kick off the summer season in Medford, which features Art in the Alley, a June 9 event sponsored by the Heart of Medford Association, and concerts in Bear Creek Park that start June 17. Levin said he doesn't expect Art in Bloom to become a more regular feature, though planners are already working on the second festival for Mother's Day weekend in 2002. "Our job is to start thinking how to make it better next year," he said. "There will be another Art in Bloom." Reach reporter Jessica Smith at 776-4481, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.