Every year, Topeka offers various outlets for artists and art lovers to showcase their works. One of these is the Aaron Douglas Art Fair, which took place Saturday at the Aaron Douglas Art Park at 12th and Lane.

The fair was first developed in 2006 to showcase artwork of different artists from the region and to honor the legacy of Aaron Douglas, a renowned artist from Topeka. Douglas became one of the leading artists of the Harlem Renaissance, a movement that began during the 1920s when artists, authors and scholars began giving voice to black experiences in America.

There were food vendors, artists and musicians.

“I think it was a great chance to see some really great art,” said Sara Donnelly, 24. “Hopefully I’ll be coming to next year’s show, too.”

The fair showed the work of 26 artists, whose art work included a wide variety of media such as painting, photography, drawing, printmaking, glass and wood working. The featured artist this year was Eddie Saldanha, an artist who graduated from Topeka High School and Kansas State University.??According to a university release for the event, the Art Fair teamed up with Washburn University this year.

Washburn art students participated by providing face painting, facilitating a ‘Wishing Tree’ project, performing music and creating caricatures. The ‘Wishing Tree’ [is] a collection and decorative installation of the wishes, hopes and dreams of fairgoers. Washburn students also contributed by designing and hand-painting the ribbons awarded to exhibiting artists.