Just driving around our busy town reminds me that it is fall and with it comes all kinds of fun, including many arts offerings. Even though this weekend will include a home football game, you should not exclude the idea of venturing out to the Square as the Oxford Artists’ Guild will have their annual Fall into Art Show.

On Saturday from 9 a.m.  to 5 p.m. on the Courthouse Lawn, the guild will host their fall arts show and sale featuring unique art.

Each year the guild stages a show during both the fall and spring seasons, and this year’s event will feature guild artists including June Pryor, Andrew Hight, Tiffeny and Laila Owens, Ed Tropp, Cindy Aune, Cecil Bowers and Catherine Smith among others.

Offerings will include paintings, wood work, leather goods and much more. Many of the artists are prepared to ship or deliver locally so football fans are encouraged to stop by before and after the game.

The Senatobia band, Boyd and Evans will be playing live music from noon to 3 p.m. making this a festive place to spend the afternoon. If game day traffic scares you, just stop by during the game. We all know this is a peaceful time to get on the road during football season as almost everyone is in the Grove or stadium.

According to their blog, the purpose of the guild is “To promote and encourage the creation and appreciation of fine arts and crafts.”

Members include novice and professional artists and craftsmen, and the guild welcomes anyone who creates individual and original artwork. The members attend meetings and fun programs including demonstrations, lectures and talks on art and other topics of interest to artists.

Past programs have included presentations on tax information for artists, framing tips and suggestions, copyright issues artists need to be aware of and some demonstrations by other members on how they create their work.

In addition to the two outdoor shows held on the courthouse lawn, the guild features work each November at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center in an exhibit called The Biggest Baddest Art Show, featuring work by members in the gallery throughout the month and continuing through the holiday season in December.

The guild also partners with the Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library to stage an art show in the local library during the month of February. The art hangs on screens in the downstairs area of the library making art accessible to all ages.

As part of their mission “to promote and encourage creativity,” they also co-sponsor the Student Art Exhibition with the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council at the Powerhouse each spring which spotlights work by area school children and gives them an opportunity to showcase their art in a professional manner.

With such a great mission and busy agenda, the guild is a group worth supporting. Make a point to visit them this Saturday. If it rains, the event will be held on Sunday from 11-4 p.m.

ANDI BEDSWORTH is owner of Art To Go, which brings free art opportunities to children in the community.