Warner’s initial concept of a simple networking community quickly evolved into an all-out quest to interview today’s top Canon photographers. Their unique stories, tips and techniques are shared with other photographers through his LensFlare35’s weekly podcast episodes. “The masters of today’s digital photography are blending technique, technology and an amazing level of artistic talent to achieve their desired results,” stated Warner. “My vision for LensFlare35’s peer-to-peer community is that all photographers will be able to leverage this shared knowledge to enhance and inspire their own work,” concluded Warner.

The initial lineup of episodes is a who’s who of some of the most sought-after photographers in the country, including: ‘famous faces’ portrait photographer, Brian Smale; painted portrait artist Sandra Pearce; global photographer and author, Rick Sammon; photographer, blogger and social media expert, Rosh Sillars; nationally-renowned wedding photographer, David Ziser, to name just a few. Podcasts are designed to be intentionally informal and entertaining, drawing attention to the person behind the camera. Each segment includes a video with example images and a narrative by the photographer.

For more information about LensFlare35 and a list of upcoming episodes, visit the website or contact David E. Warner. Canon is a registered trademark of Canon USA, Inc.

About LensFlare35:

Lensflare35 is an audio podcast community for professional Canon® photographers to stay informed, network, and leverage tips and techniques from today’s most admired photographers. Weekly episodes are designed to make relevant information available in short, entertaining segments. Topics range from developing an artistic style, digital darkroom techniques, strategic marketing trends, tips and tricks from the masters, to the latest technology gadgets.

Guests are invited to talk with Eminger about her dessert creations and sample her famous strawberries stuffed with New York Cheesecake and then dipped in white or dark chocolate. This is a rare opportunity for Texans to experience the original Eminger Berry from Maine.

The Food Network’s “Road Tasted” with Jamie and Bobby Deen cookbook, featuring the Eminger Berry recipe, will be available for sale during the evening. Eminger will be on-hand throughout the evening for book signings.

About the Village of Salado:

The Village of Salado is located in Central Texas approximately fifty miles north of Austin. The Village is a popular tourist destination due to its rich history, historic shopping district, idyllic setting on the Salado Creek, and its growing arts and cultural community. Salado has been home to many esteemed Texas notables including authors,Liz Carpenter and A.C. Green, Governor James E. Ferguson, Governor Miriam “Ma” Ferguson, and numerous historical figures have visited, such as Sam Houston and General George Custer. For more information visit the Village of Salado Web site at www.salado.com, or contact Debbie Charbonneau at 254-947-8634 – email saladotourism@vvm.com.

The three-day chocolate celebration promises to satisfy all the senses with chocolate, wine tastings, music, demonstrations, chocolate sculpting, a gourmet chocolate & champagne brunch, and gallery tours. The festival kickoff begins on Friday evening with an Evening of Chocolate & Wine from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Salado Wine Seller. Guests will be invited to savor the taste of premier Texas wines paired with decadent chocolates. The Evening of Chocolate & Wine will feature the finest in artisan chocolates, and wine tasting from Texas vineyards. Carriage rides and Belgian horses will provide transportation from both the Stagecoach Inn and Holiday Inn Express to the event location.

A Day of Chocolate & Art is scheduled for Saturday, October 11th. The first event takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Stagecoach Inn. This event will feature chocolate cooking demonstrations from Chef Denice, an instructor at the Texas Culinary Academy, along with Jackie Parchman and Jennifer McClintock. There will also be a fun/educational class on wine and chocolate pairings from Jane Nickles entitled “Like Wine for Chocolate” along with live music and children’s chocolate activities.

Participants will have an opportunity to sample some delicious desserts made by Pastry Chef Denice Woods, each paired with a wine hand selected by Sommelier Jane Nickles. “We’ll see how the wine and chocolate interact, and keep tasting until we find the perfect wine and chocolate match,” stated Jane Nickles. Carriage rides and the Belgian horses will be available to transport guests to and from the event.

Gallery Night in October will open Saturday evening activities with all nine Salado galleries hosting featured artists and art enthusiasts with a wine and cheese reception between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Chocolate sculpting demonstrations will also take place at several galleries. Specific times and locations will be announced at a later date.

A special highlight of Gallery Night in October is the appearance of Susan Eminger at Prellop Fine Art Gallery. Eminger received national acclaim with her Eminger Berry recipe in The Food Network’s “Road Tasted” with Jamie and Bobby Deen. Eminger will be showcasing her famous dessert stuffed strawberries at the gallery between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Guests will be able to sample her famous strawberries stuffed with New York Cheesecake. The berries are dipped in dark and white chocolate. Eminger will be providing booklets full of recipes and stories from her experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the original Eminger Berry. The business has closed. This is simply Eminger’s way of reaching out to Salado visitors. “I have found a new joy in this community,” stated Susan Eminger. “What better way to share the magic than through the chocolate festival?” concluded Eminger.

The three-day event will conclude on Sunday, October 12th with a spectacular Chocolate and Champagne Brunch between the hours of 11: 00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Participating restaurants and inns will dazzle guests with their finest chocolate and gourmet recipes. Menu selections incorporate the finest chocolate and gourmet selections, including Adelea’s cocoa rubbed beef tenderloin thinly sliced and placed on a bed of field greens with a raspberry vinaigrette and dark chocolate mousse with fresh raspberries. A complete list of Chocolate and Champagne Brunch locations and menus can be found at www.saladochocolatefestival.com.

For festival details and ticket information, visit us online at www.saladochocolatefestival.com or contact the Village of Salado Tourism office at 254-947-8634.

About The Village of Salado:

The Village of Salado is located in Central Texas approximately fifty miles north of Austin. The Village is a popular tourist destination due to its rich history, historic shopping district, idyllic setting on the Salado Creek, and its growing arts and cultural community. Salado has been home to many esteemed Texas notables including authors, Liz Carpenter and A.C. Green, Governor James E. Ferguson, Governor Miriam “Ma” Ferguson, and numerous historical figures have visited, such as Sam Houston and General George Custer. For more information visit the Village of Salado Web site at www.salado.com, or contact Debbie Charbonneau at 254-947-8634 – email saladotourism@vvm.com.

Bascom Heard’s Hill Country landscapes, were a real hit, as was his spectacular Art Fair poster, with the edition almost sold out. Chuck DeHaan’s horses were a sight to behold with extraordinary detail and lifelike qualities. Travis Keese from Kerrville had a remarkable scenic with deer walking through a hill country stream. Raul Gutierrez‘s western scenes exhibited his unique flair for blending backgrounds with an aged quality that was reminiscent of old-world paintings. George Boutewell, a Salado icon, has a consistency in quality and depth in his bluebonnet landscapes, that never fails to delight the crowds. And, Larry Prellop’s latest moonlit seascape, was exceptional with the light streaking through the waves as they begin to crest and break along the beach. There were so many wonderful painters in one room, one was hard pressed to pick a favorite.

Ron Wells’ bronze work was spectacular as you entered the door of the Celebration Center. The scale and patina on his bass bronze definitely had the ‘wow’ factor. Around the corner you could see Edd Hayes’ life-size figurative bronzes depicting early frontier life, where even women were required to pick up a rifle. Another big hit in the 3-D category was the metal botanical work of Charles Allen. His skill with cutting and bending metal into tiny, delicate flowers is simply extraordinary.

Playing background music for the show was Shelly King, an outstanding musician. It’s easy to see why the State of Texas chose her as the 2008 Musician of the Year. And, speaking of state artists of the year…the State of Texas Poet Laureates were well represented by Larry Thomas and Alan Birkelbach. These two extraordinary writers kept the crowds entertained with stories and personalized autographs of their poetry and writings.

Throughout the evening you could see artists meeting for the first time and many rekindling old acquaintances. The food, cocktails and spirit of the evening were on par with the level of art on display. Texas’s rich heritage in the arts was well represented in this small Village of Salado.

For pictures of the event, click here.

SALADO, TEXAS — Organizers of the hottest art show of the year just kicked it up a notch with participation by Texas Commission on the Arts’ Texas Originals artisans and the Texas State Artists. This includes some of the greatest painters, sculptors, musicians, and poet laureates from around the state. Art fans that have been traveling to the banks of Salado Creek for the past 42 years are in for a real treat this year. The quality and variety of artistic expression has never been greater.

The Salado Chamber of Commerce will host over 100 Texas artists and artisans at the 42nd Annual Art Fair August 2nd and 3rd at Pace Park and the new ‘Best of the Best’ Texas Fine Art Sale & Reception at Celebration Center on August 2nd.

“This is a very exciting year for both Art Fair fans and serious art collectors,” stated Larry Prellop, President of the Salado Chamber of Commerce. “Never before has there been such an extraordinary level of artistic talent… from top Texas artists that have rarely, if ever, exhibited together,” added Prellop.

Texas Original artisans working in a wide variety of media including clay, glass, fiber, wood, metal, stone, and more will be exhibiting along with Art Fair favorites at Pace Park on Saturday, August 2nd from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and again on Sunday, August 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to 4: p.m.

Texas State Artists will be honored at the inaugural “Best of the Best” Texas Fine Art Sale & Reception on Saturday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Celebration Center. This one-evening event offers art enthusiasts a unique opportunity to meet and mingle with some of their favorite Texas artists and poet laureates. Participating artists include: Dalhart Windberg, Roy Lee Ward, George Boutwell, Lee Herring, Ed Hayes, Kathy Vargas, Ralph White, David Keens, Jack Terry, B. Herd, Raul Gutierrez, Alan Birkelbach, and the 2008 Texas State Musician of the Year, Shelley King.

“The Texas Originals and Texas State Artists are two programs that we are very proud of, “stated Gaye Greever McElwain, Director of Marketing and Development for the Texas Commission on the Arts. “These artists represent the depth of the state’s artistic talent and its rich cultural diversity,” added McElwain. “Many of these artists began their careers at the Salado Art Fair,” noted McElwain. “I can’t imagine a better venue to showcase these two state programs,” concluded McElwain.

For ticket information, contact the Salado Chamber of Commerce at 254-947-5040 or visit them online at www.salado.com.

About Salado Art Fair: Salado Art Fair, held the first weekend in August, is one of the oldest open-air art exhibits in the state of Texas. For the past forty-two years, thousands of artists and artisans have traveled to the banks of Salado Creek to showcase their work. Over the years, many nationally recognized Texas artists have participated in the event, including George Boutwell, B. Herd, and Ron Wells. The Salado Art Fair is a Salado Chamber of Commerce event that brings over 5,000 arts enthusiasts and visitors to the community each year. For more information about the Salado Art Fair and other Chamber events call 254-947-5040 or visit them online at www.salado.com.

About the Texas Commission on the Arts TCA was organized in 1965 by the Texas Legislature to develop a receptive climate for the arts in Texas. TCA supports a diverse and innovative arts community in Texas, throughout the nation and internationally by providing resources to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism and quality of life. For more information on TCA and its programs, please visit www.arts.state.tx.us.

About Texas State Artists Every two years, the Texas Legislature honors talented Texans for their years of excellence and dedicated commitment to the arts by designating them as Texas State Artists. Texas State Artists are native Texans or five-year residents of the state that have received recognition for high levels of excellence and success in their respective disciplines and are named as Texas State Poet Laureate, Musician or Visual Artist. Texas State Artists serve one-year appointments and demonstrate the essence of what art in Texas is all about. Previous winners include James Dick, Lee Herring, Ray Benson, Damian Priour, Red Steagall, Sharon Kopriva, and George Boutwell, just to name a few. The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) oversees the Texas State Artist program. The next call for Texas State Artist nominations will take place in the fall of 2008. More information, including a complete list of past Texas State Artists, is available online at www.arts.state.tx.us.

About Texas Original Texas Original (TxO) was created by the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) to help preserve Texas’ unique arts and crafts heritage and was designed to achieve three primary goals:

• promote original work by Texas’ craft artists;
• provide a method for buying/selling original Texas artwork and crafts;
• preserve traditional methods for creating hand-crafted work to ensure those methods are passed on to future generations.

Texas is home to an extraordinary number of talented craft artisans working in a wide variety of media including clay, glass, fiber, wood, metal, stone, and more. Artists included in the Texas Original program have been through a review process overseen by the Texas Commission on the Arts. Only artisans and crafts people who meet the highest business, quality and artistic standards are granted the title of Texas Original. When you see the TxO brand, you know you are looking at a high-quality, authentic, original work by a Texas artist. For more information on the Texas Original program, please visit www.txoriginal.com.

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This unique product emerged out of frustration with traditional scar solutions for women. ScarArt was designed by a woman for women. This temporary tattoo stays in place for up to three days, even in the harshest of environments involving sun, sand, and water exposure.

Until ScarArt, women with abdominal scars had few realistic options. While traditional cream-type products help to diminish a scar’s appearance, the scar is always visible. The only other option was a permanent tattoo to disguise the scar. While permanent tattooing has gained popularity, for many women the pain, lengthy process, and the dis-figuration only add to the problem. ScarArt is the first realistic product on the market that offers women a temporary solution in the form of an adhesive accessory that looks great and stays in place.

ScarArt is made with FDA Regulated Adhesives and Colors in the US. It is waterproof, smear proof, and is designed to stay in place for up to three days. The real value in ScarArt is how it empowers women to feel sexy and confident, no matter what they are wearing.

ScarArt initial market focus is tummy tucks and c-section scars. Products range in price from $19.95 to $29.95. Additional products in development target the pediatric market with adhesive strips designed for vertical scars left from open heart surgery. These ScarArt designs allow children to temporarily hide their scars with fun, colorful designs. For more information about ScarArt, contact Darin Barrow, President of Sales at 866-964-SCAR (7227) or visit www.scarart.com.

Galleries will be showcasing the work of local, regional, and national artists. Exhibitions include Kingfisher Fine Art & Music’s Spring Show featuring new work by Susan Kirchman and Neil Cronk; WW Treenware Folk Art Gallery & Studio will be featuring artists working in treen, watercolor, polymer clay, pottery, fused glass, mask making, and photography. At Enye Gallery, artists working in jewelry, oil, fiber art, beads, ceramics, oil and photography will be showcasing their work. Bremond House Gallery opens its Legends of Tanach Show, with artist Dan Grife working in acrylic & copper. An added feature to this show is Grife’s storytelling sessions at the gallery scheduled for 1pm, 3pm and 5pm Art Walk day. Bremond House is also hosting a book signing with author E. C. Gibson and his new murder/mystery novel, Nine Lords of the Night, during the Art Walk beginning at 6pm.

Local businesses or ‘other wall’ locations host many of the local and regional artists working in oil, watercolor, fused glass, beads, photography and origami. Hosting businesses include Blue Moon Auction and Mercantile, A Flower Connection, Stanberry & Associates Realtors, Elgin Depot Museum, Franklin Bank Community Room, Jeanette Shelby Realty, Elgin Outfitters, Main Street Optical, Back Forty Chiropractic, Nirvana Smoothies & Café, and Lickity Splits Ice Cream Parlor.

The Oncor Electric Delivery offices will host the first children’s art component to the Elgin Art Walk. Children’s face painting will be done by artist Kristen Rendulic and a Children’s Art Contest with the theme Texas Springtime, will be hosted by Susan Snelson and artist Ava Barker of the Elgin Arts Association, The children’s events will run from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.

Elgin Art Walks are scheduled on the second Saturday of the months of March, April, May, June, September, October, November and December, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The Elgin Art Walk is in the Historic Downtown District and takes place in existing commercial galleries, non-profit arts spaces and what are called “other walls”; restaurants and retail stores. Art Walk exhibits are free and open to the public. For more information about exhibits and a detailed walking map, visit www.artinelgin.com/.

Salado has a large population of resident artists, galleries, one-of-a-kind specialty shops and restaurants, cultural festivals, and numerous bed & breakfast accommodations – all nestled into one of the most scenic areas of Texas. It has been a treasured arts destination for several decades. The brand repositioning campaign will broaden Salado’s definition of the arts to include all expressions of creativity; fine arts, literary arts, handmade crafts, cultural displays, performing arts and music. The campaign is a cohesive plan that incorporates an artistic theme into every visitor touch point.

“Collectively we can do more to promote interest in our community and businesses than we can do individually,” stated Larry Prellop, President of the Salado Chamber of Commerce. The “Artfully Yours” initiative has unprecedented public and private cooperation,” added Prellop.

Salado has hired Austin-area communications firm, Embella, Inc., to create momentum in the hearts and minds of travelers as they contemplate weekend getaways. “We chose Embella because of their history of energizing developing arts communities and their understanding of our local markets,” added Prellop. Embella plans an integrated marketing and public relations strategy consisting of media tours, feature stories, press releases, online marketing, advertising and events strategy, and collateral repackaging. Embella expects to ignite interest from the Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston markets – areas that range from forty-five minutes to three hours driving distance from Salado.

“Salado’s re-branding effort is aimed at leveraging its core strength as an arts destination with a refreshed, more relevant message for younger generations who may not be familiar with the brand,” stated David E. Warner, CEO of Embella. “What we’re undertaking is a significant change in how Salado views itself, how businesses interact, and how Salado’s originality and uniqueness is communicated… ultimately translating into a heightened experience for visitors and increased tourism revenue,” concluded Warner.

There is an emerging trend among small communities to embrace their cultural assets to attract tourism dollars, and for good reason. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, (as reported in The Historic/Cultural Traveler, 2003 Edition) eighty-one percent of the 146.4 million U.S. adults who took a trip of 50 miles or more away from home in the past year can be considered cultural and heritage tourists. These travelers spend more per visit: $623 vs. $457 and stay longer: 5.2 nights vs. 3.4 nights than other travelers.

About Embella

Embella is a full-service marketing and communications agency specializing in economic development through arts and cultural initiatives. Services include management consulting, research, marketing, publicity/public relations, promotions, advertising and Web site development. Embella’s client list is varied and includes Fortune 500 as well as small to mid size organizations. For more information about Embella, visit their web site at www.embella.com or call 866-505-3400.

About Salado

The Village of Salado is located in Central Texas approximately fifty miles north of Austin. The Village is a popular tourist destination due to its rich history, idyllic setting on the Salado Creek, and its growing arts and cultural community. Salado’s population of 3,944 is unique for a small rural town with 70% of its population having attended college and earning higher household incomes compared to the US average. Salado has been home to many esteemed individuals including authors, Liz Carpenter and A.C. Green, two Texas governors, Governor James E. Ferguson and Governor Miriam “Ma” Ferguson and numerous historical figures such as Sam Houston and General George Custer. For more information visit the Village of Salado Web site at www.salado.com; contact Debbie Charbonneau at 254-947-8634 – email saladotourism@vvm.com, or Suzi Epps at 254-947-5040 – email saladochamber@vvm.com.