The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts fills the Lakewood Center every year. (Mac Larsen / Lake Oswego Review)

Despite inclement weather, people from across the Portland metro region and beyond flocked to the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts in droves this weekend to witness the ingenuity of animators like Bill Plympton as well as the dozens of artists who displayed their work.

The festival, held June 20-22 at George Rogers Park and the Lakewood Center for the Arts, drew in approximately 18,000 people, with about 1,500 people attending guest lectures and 205 pieces  of art sold, according to Lakewood Theatre Company Executive Director Andrew Edwards.

Edwards said Friday was touch-and-go due to torrential downpour — there were moments people had to huddle under tents to avoid the rain — but that Sunday was especially well-attended.

“I think it went phenomenally well considering the weather,” Edwards said.

He also was very impressed by Plympton, who worked with more than 200 people in his master class. His work was also part of the main exhibit of the festival, “Animation: Script to Screen.”  The exhibit featured participation from studios such as LAIKA, HouseSpecial, ShadowMachine and Tippett Studio.

“It was fabulous with each of the studios here. Bill Plympton was incredible. He did a master class with 200 people and individually he spoke and worked with each one of them,” Edwards said. “He was an exquisite draw. He drew people from Seattle and San Francisco. There was people who came down specifically to hear him talk.”

The Lakewood executive director added that many people commented on the high level of professionalism of the event and noted that it would not be possible without the 500 volunteers who help organize it, as well as the sponsors.