Paso Robles Art in the Park brings community to life

By Camille DeVaul · Fri Nov 14 2025

Artists from across the state showcase works at biannual event

PASO ROBLES — Over 100 artists filled Paso Robles City Park last weekend for the biannual November Art in the Park. The event, organized by Steve Powers and Company, has long been a fixture in the community, attracting art lovers from across California and beyond.

For two days, Nov. 8 and 9, visitors explored booths filled with original artwork, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, and photography. Despite its late-fall timing, warm weather and sunshine welcomed attendees and artists alike for one last outdoor hurrah before cooler temperatures arrive in San Luis Obispo County.

Recognized as one of the top 10 fine art shows in California, Art in the Park continues to offer a platform for creativity, connection, and inspiration.

Among this year’s featured artists was local favorite Andrew Wilkie, an Atascadero High School teacher known for his one-of-a-kind “Art Grounded in Coffee” series. Using fresh coffee grounds of varying roasts to create texture and tone, Wilkie crafts detailed images that often reflect his love of nature, especially the trees that surround the Central Coast.

He shared, "All of my artwork is done with fresh ground coffee of different roasts, some light, some dark, some mix, some on canvas."

Originally from Colorado, Wilkie’s passion for the outdoors began early and grew alongside his exploration of visual arts, including ceramics, stained glass, batik, and sculpture. His love of coffee began while living in Costa Rica, where he was inspired to experiment with coffee as a medium. After years of trial and error, he discovered that fresh grounds offer different shades of brown and black, giving each piece its own distinctive depth.

Since starting his coffee series in 2015, Wilkie has sold pieces across the United States and even as far as France. Now living in Morro Bay, he continues to find inspiration in his natural surroundings and in the joy of seeing familiar faces at the Paso Robles show.

"It's been a great venue for me," he said. "There's trees everywhere here, where the people have vineyards, where they have homes ... it's an unending source of inspiration."

Another returning artist, Melisa Beveridge, brought a heartfelt mission to the park with her business, Woollybear Travels. Beveridge, a former scientific illustrator turned veterinary technician, paints portraits of rescued animals and donates 10 percent of each sale back to the rescue organization that helped save the animal.

"If I could find a way to do art and animals and help, but it took a long time to figure out how to do it," she explained. "Right now, I work with about 30 different organizations."

Beveridge's booth featured prints, cards, and gifts adorned with the stories and faces of her subjects with each piece a tribute to second chances and compassion.

For more information about future events, visit pasoroblesartinthepark.com

Feature Image: Andrew Wilkie, an Atascadero High School teacher known for his one-of-a-kind “Art Grounded in Coffee” series, was one of the featured artists in the Art in the Park event at Paso Robles City Park. Photo by Camille DeVaul/PRP