Art Fair Revisted (So Many Links, I Can Barely Lift It!)

I'm hoping against hope that I'll still be able to do significant fair wandering this week, but it's difficult to say.

This is also just around when I began my blog last year, so I thought I'd revisit some old posts and see which artists are returning. If you care to read any old posts -- super cool -- if not, swing by the booths of a few good artists. And have a gyro and some funnel cake or wander a few blocks over from the crowds, to Babos and get a glass of wine and a cheese plate (they're awfully nice over there).

Michael Paul Cole (photography) and Shandor Madjar (jewelry)

http://cakelurking.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-think-kick-ass-is-hyphenated.html

Have they returned?

Cole: Pssssssh. Doesn’t look like it. Go visit him in Minnesota and Idaho in August…

http://www.michealpaulcole.com/architectural.html

Madjar: Yes! Booth… On E. Liberty St/ South Division.

Cody Miller

http://cakelurking.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-think-kick-ass-is-hyphenated.html

Has he returned?

Miller: Doesn’t look like it.

Drunken Men: Yes, most assuredly.

Chris Roberts-Antieau, John Whipple, Lynn Whipple.

http://cakelurking.blogspot.com/2011/07/compatriots-artists-weathermen-thats.html

Have they returned?

Roberts-Antieau: Sho nuff. Booth # A252

Whipples, Whipples, Where are the Whipples? Hiding somewhere, I expect.

Joachim Knill and Matthew Naftzger

http://cakelurking.blogspot.com/2011/07/something-strange-is-afoot-in-hannibal.html

Have they returned?

‘Fraid so. In cahoots and causing trouble at #A379 (Knill) and at # A377 (Naftzger)

Bill Skrips

http://cakelurking.blogspot.com/2011/08/gathering-continued-art-of-bill-skrips.html

Has he returned?

Skrips: Sadly noooooooo, he has flown the coop for nicer climes. Good luck to him, but booooooooo.

I wrote about approximately one tenth of the artists I wanted to focus on last year and I expect to be even worse this year, being ONE WEEK AWAY from using my passport for the FIRST TIME EVER, so um, here are a few snaps from last year:

The sweetness of Floridian Kana Handel. Holding one of her "Things on My Head" watercolors. She just makes me happy.

Brilliant booth display from Joan Rasmussen (will she be here? Look her up.)

It invited audience chalk participation, though most of us were too timid

I am blanking on this ceramicist's name, but she was in the Yourist Gallery, I believe

She's also really sweet and has written a children's picture book. Picture book people are the best!

Peewee repetitions. Recycle, Haha!

I just like it. No parking, but so much shining.

And here we have the creation of one of my favorites, Rebecca Bashara (and husband Scottt MacDonald)

The jeweler herself. Though she sure doesn't want to be photographed.

One of my absolute favorite rings (tied with one from Shandor Madjar) is from Ms. Bashara. The year I bought it, her husband patiently wrapped some wire around the band to tighten it up for me. Nice, talented people. I skulked around her their booth last year and talked to her mother; she told me three anecdotes, all of which were variants of running into an unknown woman, wearing her daughter's jewelry and asking said woman about the piece in question. "You KNOW who MADE that??? That's my DAUGHTER!!" The woman was amazed and so she'd get to repeat it. A very proud Mama. FAN.TAST.IC.

See, now doesn't he look sad? Almost as if he knew his maker, Bill Scripps would not be coming back this year.

 Other awesome:

Nick Wroblewski, printmaker from Viroqua, WI
I usually moon about his booth until I get embarassed and leave.
Feel free to embarrass yourself at Booth A247.

Eric Silva, metalworker, jeweler. Loves to play with natural elements, but render it gritty. If he could use antlers for your necklace, he would. But nooooo, he's more refined than that.  Booth A216.

Brigitte Lang, ceramicist. I just love her. Ann Arbor, MI   Booth A300.

I'll stop there, though there are obviously SOOOOOO many artists worth your time and attention!

Wow. LAZIEST BLOG POST EVER. In any case, I hope everyone who cares to goes out and explores! You never know when you'll find something inspiring...

More armchair art fairing:

Original Art Fair Artist List:

www.artfair.org/tools/artist/directory.jsp

South University Artist List

http://www.a2southu.com/art-fair/artists/

The Guild of Artists and Artisans (Main, Liberty, State)

http://theguild.org/art-fairs/ann-arbor-art-fair/

Iccccce cold conversation! + Cody Miller

The euphoria from Day One of Art Fair wandering gave way to a bit of weariness today and irritation with yesterday's lack of restraint. Not that I regretted any purchases, but having grown up in a stolid miserly family, I felt mildly ill with myself.

Yesterday, however, the well-oiled justification engine was revved and purring, smoothly urging:

• Artists need support! 
• It's not like you go on any REAL vacations.
• This only happens once a year.
• Presents! You'll find presents!
• On the touchier-feelier side of things: You are only honoring what is important to you.

Did you gag at the last one? That's marketing gold right there, the sweet spot that marketers are endlessly trying to tap (wow, that sounds even MORE unpalatable~~). Because buying is empowering, folks. I think the consumer frenzy aspect of the fair is another reason the more high-minded Art Fair haters hate, right? Roger that.

Luckily, since I mostly gave into temptation yesterday (thanks Oscar Wilde), the engine calmed down significantly today and I....meandered. And shockinlgy got some presents.

But obviously, more interesting artists of note!

Cody Miller (see his Elijah print here) was a surprise on Liberty St. His mixed media paintings have an almost urban feel to them at times, are very colorful and bold; and all deal with Biblical stories. At their best, they are truly arresting.

To quote his artist's statement:


"This scripture swims in my head each time I begin to paint: 'Therefore we do not lose heart, though outwardly we are decaying away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day.'" (II Corinthians 4:16)"

I'm not religious, but I appreciate the sentiment. And his treatment of the subject matter is fascinating.

He also had a book recommendation, which I'll pass along. The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a wordless graphic novel, conveying the immigrant experience. Intriguing! The illustrations are reminiscent of Chris Van Allsburg.

I could easily go on to more artists, but I suspect I could be testing readers' (/reader's) patience. So I'll just toss in a few overheards/quotables for fair atmosphere:

• "Enter to win ladies! YOU look like a couple of WINNERS!"
• "Reeeeeeeeeecalllll Governor! Snyder!"
• "Let's talk Jesus & his grace."
• More ominous, from a youngish guy strutting by on his cellphone:
• "I've dealt with enough teeth & I have seen this all too often."

And my favorite, delivered by a (drunk?) man walking down the yellow line of the closed street, in a good carrying voice, over and over:

"Iccccce cold conversation!
            for a dollar.
KEEP it moving!
   And KEEP your hands
where I can SEE them."

Excellent.