LA HABRA -- The Hillcrest Festival of Fine Arts will be celebrating its 58th year of showcasing outstanding art Feb. 23-25 at 2000 West Road in La Habra Heights.

Nearly 200 artists will be exhibiting and selling their artwork with some personally demonstrating their artistic skills during the three-day event. Admission and parking for the festival are free.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Off-site overflow parking with free shuttle is available.

Attendees will enjoy seeing watercolor and oil paintings, unique handmade jewelry, ceramics, pottery, hand-woven clothing, photography, stained and fused glass, bronze and metal sculptures, carved wood, and a great selection of handcrafted one-of-a-kind items in the Arts & Crafts Boutique. Each year, many first-time exhibitors, as well as long-time favorites, are selected to participate. Local high school students will be displaying their artwork in a juried exhibition that showcases their talents and skills.

The festival committee is proud to announce that two Featured Artists have been chosen for the 2018 festival: Hannie Goldgewicht and Sheryl L.Sauer.

Goldgewicht grew up surrounded by natural beauty, nestled in the mountains of Costa Rica. Since childhood, her fascination with all forms of art led her to explore and experiment with every type of creative medium she could find. She has worked with clay, metal, wood, stone, paper, glass and found objects including pine needles and other natural fibers.

She graduated with honors from the School of Fine Arts at the Universidad de Costa Rica with an emphasis in sculpture. She traveled through Europe, the Middle East, Central and South America observing and being influenced by the different cultures. It was on a trip to Argentina where she first came across pine needle basketry, learning the technique from master fiber artist Delfa Deriu.

She now lives in Los Angeles where she continues to learn and experiment.

Goldgewicht has won over 10 awards at juried art festivals across California including three Best In Show. She has been featured in the prestigious American Craft Council Magazine and her art has been selected for the Pasadena Showcase House on several occasions. Her work has been accepted at various international biennales, and she was an invited artist to the Cheongju International Craft Biennale in Korea.

Sheryl L. Sauer’s enthusiasm to paint nature’s beauty began at age 11 when she witnessed an incredible sunset while traveling to Washington State from her home in Delaware. In 1992, she was led to return to college to obtain an art degree.

However, it wasn’t until she moved to Southern California in 1997 and began taking watercolor classes from some of Laguna Beach’s finest watercolorists, that painting and art became a significant part of every day for her. After spending seven years painting realism in watercolors, Sauer began painting in acrylics and expressing herself through abstraction.

She remembers, “My first watercolor instructor told me that I seemed to enjoy the elements of design more than the tedious strokes of fine art.” Now she’s having more fun than ever expressing what comes from her heart.

Sauerl maintains membership in several local art associations and has served on the board and as president of the Niguel Art Association for a number of years. In addition to being a partner at the Cove Gallery, Sheryl’s artwork is on display during several art exhibitions during the year including the prestigious, juried Art A-Fair in the Laguna Beach Canyon. Sheryl is honored to have her works in homes around the country and Canada, as well as a number of corporate offices.

All festival areas are open during the weekend, including the indoor galleries, artist demonstrations, outdoor exhibits, the patio area, and the Boutique. There will be free art workshops for children on Saturday and Sunday. Festival attendees can browse, shop, and enjoy live musical entertainment. Meals at the Starving Artist’s Café during the three-day event will be provided by two food trucks, Chronic Tacos and Me So Hungry.

Hillcrest Festival of Fine Arts returns this month for 58th season