Auburn’s ArtRageous: Artist in Action Art Fair will be held July 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Auburn’s Les Gove Park, 1005 12th St. SE.

The fair will feature professional artists presenting demonstrations in a variety of art media, from painting to woodworking to encaustic, and offering related hands-on activities.

Art also will be offered for sale.

As part of this free art extravaganza, there will be a special one-day art installation. Artist Susan Robb of Seattle will turn the lawn of the park into a field of 50-foot tall waving black stalks with her stunning artwork, "Warmth, Giant Black Toobs." Watch a video clip of Robb’s Toobs (www.susanrobb.com/Portfolio/2007/toobs.asp.

The installation consists of polypropylene garbage bags, 50 feet tall by 30 inches in diameter, which are inflated passively either by allowing the wind to fill them or by running while holding one end open. One end is then staked to the ground; the other end is free. Employing a similar principle to that of hot-air balloons, the sun heats the air inside the toobs, and since hot air is less dense then cold air, the toobs become buoyant.

At its core, the artwork has an environmental message that comments on the ever-present black plastic garbage bag and the billions of tons of garbage dumped into the ocean. The solar produced buoyancy, breezes, and internal convection work to transform this symbol of the cycle of consumption and waste into seemingly alive marine creatures.

ArtRageous is a free arts celebration presented in recognition of the Auburn Arts Commission 25th Anniversary and is sponsored by Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation, 4-Culture, 4-Culture Site Specific Network, Showcase Magazine and the Washington State Arts Commission.

For additional information, please visit www.auburnwa.gov/arts or contact the City of Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation Department at 253-931-3043.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.