Ben Greenberg usually makes his living in the marketplace of ideas.

But the lobbyist at the state Capitol also is a photographer, and yesterday, he was selling his handiwork, including color and black-and-white mini-murals of landscapes in Virginia and beyond.

"This is my other life," said a smiling Greenberg, among 450 artists and craftsmen at Arts in the Park, now in its 37th year at Byrd Park.

The two-day show, which attracts an estimated 80,000 people, concludes today. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. -- rain or shine, said Arts in the Park co-founder Pat Lovelace.

Paintings, jewelry, blown glass, screened prints, ironwork, photography, textiles -- you name it, it's available at Arts in the Park. Artists from across the country peddle their wares here.

"We will go from Miami to San Francisco this year," said Steve Ward, a painter from West Dundee, Ill. 40 miles northwest of Chicago.

Ward is a painter, making his third visit to Richmond. He works on canvas with a palate knife, giving an edgy texture to landscapes that he describes as impressionistic.

Ward's wife, Cheryl, prefers a different medium: cattail reeds harvested in winter near the couple's home.

The reeds are cut to uniform length, hand-painted in bright shades of blue, yellow, green and orange; then laid alongside each other and neatly framed, creating an effect that she calls "prairie grass."

As the show -- organized by the Carillon Civic Association -- opened yesterday morning under a picture-perfect sky, it was still too early for artists to determine what the declining economy would mean for the weekend take.

John Cheng of Corum, N.Y., on Long Island, is a printmaker. He's been showing at Arts in the Park for about 10 years, and just landed from Key Biscayne, Fla., where business was bad.

"This year, it's way down," said Cheng. "When people have extra money, they like to spend. When they don't, we're the first ones to feel it."

In Florida, for example, Cheng said he sold $300 worth of work. He needs sales of $600 to break even. At the same show in 2007, Cheng said, he took home $6,000.

While the art and crafts on display in a maze of tents and canopies can be pricey, there are bargains to be had.

Mike and Ann Salster of Amelia -- he's a state government press officer; she publishes a small newspaper -- found for $25 a garden ornament: a 4-foot likeness of a sunflower cut from steel by Alum Creek, W.Va., craftsman William J. Foley.

The Salsters are undecided on whether to paint it or allow it to season naturally.

Mike Salster said he purchased the ornament to commemorate his first date with Ann 20 years ago. They've been married for 19.

"There are a lot of neat things here," he said. "And the things here are almost as neat as she is."
Contact Jeff E. Schapiro at (804) 649-6814 or jschapiro@timesdispatch.com.