Art fair draws crowds despite overcast weather

By Sara Smith
Posted Thursday, August 14, 2008

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By Sara L. Smith
VIEW Staff Writer

GRAND BLANC — From photographic prints of upper Michigan, copper lawn sculpture designs and sterling silver jewelry to colorful textile handbags, pen & ink drawings and unusual pottery forms, the 10th Annual Grand Blanc Art Fair had it all — along with some overcast weather.

The event was sponsored by Grand Blanc Arts Council.

This year’s festivities kicked off Aug. 9-10 at Grand Blanc High School once again, bringing in healthy crowds despite poor weather during the two-day event. Close to 2,000 are estimated to have walked the high school grounds over the weekend, checking out an assortment of unusual wares from 75 different artisans, including a few local representatives from the greater Grand Blanc community — most notably, Greg Londrigan Mike Vedder, James Conner, Vicki Carpenter, Judith Walker, Dan Waltz, Lisa Ratza, Karen Palevich, Deborah Gossel, Mary Brochu, Lou Muckenthaler and Gary Hajek.
Local artists Waltz and Londrigan received second and third prize, respectively, for their work: Waltz for his paintings and Londrigan for a sculpture. Dianna Marksz-Wright of Kent won first prize for her beautiful, handcrafted silver jewelry.

“Overall, it was a success,” said Jet Kilmer, executive director of Grand Blanc Chamber of Commerce.
Kilmer indicated although the weather wasn’t exactly cooperative, the crowds still turned out to take in some beautiful art and have a family-friendly weekend, capped off by some musical entertainment and food.

Gemini, a musical duo comprised of twin brothers from Ann Arbor, provided some family-friendly entertainment on Sunday, while Stephanie, a singer who also performs regularly at The Redwood Lodge, sang for a more mature audience on Saturday. A diverse selection of rock and pop music entertained the crowds, courtesy of Lauderdale, who churned out covers of classic tunes over the two-day period.

A silent auction raised around $500, estimated Kilmer. Proceeds benefit art education and scholarships to promote the visual arts in Grand Blanc Community Schools.