Renaissance lady and local resident Angie Dobransky has established a name for herself at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair with an outstanding debut, taking home 12 ribbons in 12 different categories. Dobransky demonstrated that curiosity and a love of learning can pay dividends by winning six first-place blue ribbons, two second-place ribbons, a third, two fourths, and a fifth in her maiden competition.
Angie Dobransky, a business coach, author, baker, and maker, has always welcomed her identity as a renaissance woman. As a longtime resident of Montgomery County and a proud Terp alum, she views her varied interests as more than just pastimes; they are a passion for learning about all facets of life. She was looking at the exhibits at the fair a few years back when she had the idea to go inside. She became aware that she already had many of the abilities being praised, such as baking and jewelry-making. She was also greatly inspired to continue the tradition by the remembrance of her mother’s 1976 honorable mention for a handcrafted flag Afghan.
Dobransky’s preparation took several hours of careful labor. A 3D papercraft advent calendar was so much work that she made three, carefully choosing her finest one for the competition, while the baking entries alone took a good eight hours of active time.
Dobransky was most proud of her jewelry entries, even though she was confident in a beaded cellphone holder she made that, regrettably, did not fit because of a little defect she subsequently discovered. She said that winning blue ribbons for all three of her jewelry pieces after taking countless workshops over the years was a tremendously affirming experience. She is even thinking about selling her masterpieces on Etsy as a result of this accomplishment.
Dobransky attributes her dramatic victory to her approach of going into the fair with modest expectations. Her favorite part of her fair visit was seeing her entries decorated with ribbons. But what she will remember most is hearing a woman compliment her bracelet and inquire as to whether she was an artist. “I will never forget that moment,” she remarked.
Dobransky advised future first-time applicants to choose their categories strategically when approached for help. While there are many cakes and afghans, there are less entries in some divisions. She pointed out that choosing the appropriate category can have an impact. After her great debut, Dobransky is already thinking about going back to the fair. She is enticed by the prospect of winning a special challenge prize for entering 17 different home arts categories, which would encourage her to try out new techniques. The creative path is obviously far from over for this lifelong learner.
