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Written by Bwana Bwana

July 9, 2015

Arts Festival weather is definitely upon us. It’s hot and oppressively humid. And a new twist is the mist, rain, or threat thereof that has been hanging in the air for the last two weeks like a limp pocket watch in a Salvador Dali painting. But that’s appropriate for the art that’s all over the streets of State College this week. Bwana’s week has been surreal: busy at work while getting ready for vacation. So he was late, but that was no BFD as the Old Master Jim “Vermeer” Myers played Bwana For a Day. Tom “Toulouse-Lautrec” Cali, Lance Bland Color Pallate, Judd “Grant Wood” and Davis “Basquiat” Michelangelo, Costas “El Greco” Maranas, Mike “Caravaggio” Casper, Carole “Georgia” and Tia "Kahlo” Dudukovich, Jen “Rothko” Roth, Jim “Lichtenstein” Laudermilch, Kevin “Breughel” Becker, Andy "Chagall” Cunningham, Alex “Durer” Wouden, CJ “Warhol” Wagner, Mike “Renoir” Renz, Mike “Man Ray” Zimmerman, Mike “Titian” Teece, Seth “Singer Sargent” Senior, Ryan “Bosch” Burke, Doug “Seurat” Schunk, Rich Harter Benton, Adam “Ingres” Ilgen, David “Leonardo" Lloyd, and Marty “Dutch Master” Mazur headed for the track.

Jim Myers called for relays, but rather than the broad brush of last week’s 400 meter repeats, Jim painted pointillistically with 200 meter repetitions, no easel workout considering the swampy conditions. Though the model athletes were nearly nude due to the high temperature, there were no still lifes. All was a blur of color, like a Leroy Neiman sports painting. As the runners were finishing up their short strokes, Bwana arrived ready throw paint all over the canvas like the cranky old Pollock that he is. But the runners gave him a good impression, so he applied a coat of varnish and told them they were ready for exhibition…at one of the Arts Fest Races!

Bwana is heading off to an artists retreat and won’t be at the track next Thursday. People tend to think it’s no BFD to be Bwana, but somebody will have to step up and be Bwana For a Day. Who will give the master stroke?