Two times a year the best of Milwaukee's crafty D.I.Y.ers merge with the new wave crafting community at large in the typical unite and takeover fashion known as Art vs. Craft. With the holidays creeping up on us, it is with great relief for all of us mall-fearing consumers that one of those times is this weekend, Nov. 4 and 5.
Approaching its fifth edition in Milwaukee -- although this year it shifted locales from Turner Hall to the Michael J. Cudahy Student Center on the MSOE campus -- Art vs. Craft has fast become a much needed source for all things craftable -- clothing, accessories, paper goods, pottery -- really, there's almost nothing these people can't make, and make attractively, at that.
Faythe Levine, founder and loving mother of the massive project, says the venue transition has been flawless and what charm may have been lost with the move from the historic Ballroom is made up for in space -- including room for a "shopper's lounge" with music, which is located conveniently adjacent to the bar -- efficiency, wheelchair accessibility of the MSOE space. Hey, aesthetics can't be everything, even if it is an art and/or craft fair.
Expect to find the usual supply of cozy items for the coming winter months -- hand-knit scarves, hats and mittens, but also be prepared for some "new blood" this year, from both Milwaukee and the Coasts, as well as some new sponsors -- CRAFT magazine and Adorn Magazine, which features a "how-to" article by Levine -- contributing to those free swag bags that the first 200 attendants snatch up.
According to Levine, the hot fall item this year might be the "cute limited edition calendars and planners," although she does qualify by admitting, believe it or not, that not everything is excessively adorable and double-dipped in cuteness this time, as some of the vendors may have been guilty of -- in the best way possible -- in years past.
"I've noticed a shift towards a lot of organic shapes and designs, some psychedelic influences as well as nature motifs," she says. "Also, more and more designers are using eco-friendly materials as well are 'reclaiming' old items and making them into something great and new."
As always, it's a good idea to hit up the ATM before embarking on the Art vs. Craft adventure, as not all vendors accept plastic. Here are just a few reasons to get excited:
Frankie Martin -- frankiefeverforever.com: Local artist and designer, recipient of the 2005 Mary L. Nohl Fellowship and recent pick of Fred Flare's "Next Big Thing."
Evan Ross Murphy: Local artist who almost sold out of his work at the June show.
The Little Friends of Printmaking -- thelittlefriendsofprintmaking.com: Melissa and JW recently relocated here from Madison to head the design lab at Discovery World. They are also responsible for the poster designs for Art vs. Craft as well as many nationally recognized bands such as Cat Power, The Flaming Lips and Death Cab for Cutie.
Jacob Deatherage -- bookjournals.com: The proprietor of Ex Libris Anonymous, the table that is always swarmed as soon as the doors open, Portland's Deathrage salvages old books from thrift stores, garage sales and library sales, "guts" them, keeps selected pages and re-binds them into bookjournals.
Heather Wells -- brightlights-littlecity.com: Heather has driven across the country from Massachusetts once before for our show and her lamps are a huge hit. Made out of paper drink umbrellas, they are colorful, unique and one of a kind!
"Promoting the arts has become such a priority to me, as well as proving that Milwaukee can support such a young hip art scene," says Levine. "I am always nervous and pleasantly surprised at the number of people who come out to support the event -- thousands of people, younger people, coming out to support art and creativity and to drink beer. It is Milwaukee."
Approaching its fifth edition in Milwaukee -- although this year it shifted locales from Turner Hall to the Michael J. Cudahy Student Center on the MSOE campus -- Art vs. Craft has fast become a much needed source for all things craftable -- clothing, accessories, paper goods, pottery -- really, there's almost nothing these people can't make, and make attractively, at that.
Faythe Levine, founder and loving mother of the massive project, says the venue transition has been flawless and what charm may have been lost with the move from the historic Ballroom is made up for in space -- including room for a "shopper's lounge" with music, which is located conveniently adjacent to the bar -- efficiency, wheelchair accessibility of the MSOE space. Hey, aesthetics can't be everything, even if it is an art and/or craft fair.
Expect to find the usual supply of cozy items for the coming winter months -- hand-knit scarves, hats and mittens, but also be prepared for some "new blood" this year, from both Milwaukee and the Coasts, as well as some new sponsors -- CRAFT magazine and Adorn Magazine, which features a "how-to" article by Levine -- contributing to those free swag bags that the first 200 attendants snatch up.
According to Levine, the hot fall item this year might be the "cute limited edition calendars and planners," although she does qualify by admitting, believe it or not, that not everything is excessively adorable and double-dipped in cuteness this time, as some of the vendors may have been guilty of -- in the best way possible -- in years past.
"I've noticed a shift towards a lot of organic shapes and designs, some psychedelic influences as well as nature motifs," she says. "Also, more and more designers are using eco-friendly materials as well are 'reclaiming' old items and making them into something great and new."
As always, it's a good idea to hit up the ATM before embarking on the Art vs. Craft adventure, as not all vendors accept plastic. Here are just a few reasons to get excited:
Frankie Martin -- frankiefeverforever.com: Local artist and designer, recipient of the 2005 Mary L. Nohl Fellowship and recent pick of Fred Flare's "Next Big Thing."
Evan Ross Murphy: Local artist who almost sold out of his work at the June show.
The Little Friends of Printmaking -- thelittlefriendsofprintmaking.com: Melissa and JW recently relocated here from Madison to head the design lab at Discovery World. They are also responsible for the poster designs for Art vs. Craft as well as many nationally recognized bands such as Cat Power, The Flaming Lips and Death Cab for Cutie.
Jacob Deatherage -- bookjournals.com: The proprietor of Ex Libris Anonymous, the table that is always swarmed as soon as the doors open, Portland's Deathrage salvages old books from thrift stores, garage sales and library sales, "guts" them, keeps selected pages and re-binds them into bookjournals.
Heather Wells -- brightlights-littlecity.com: Heather has driven across the country from Massachusetts once before for our show and her lamps are a huge hit. Made out of paper drink umbrellas, they are colorful, unique and one of a kind!
"Promoting the arts has become such a priority to me, as well as proving that Milwaukee can support such a young hip art scene," says Levine. "I am always nervous and pleasantly surprised at the number of people who come out to support the event -- thousands of people, younger people, coming out to support art and creativity and to drink beer. It is Milwaukee."
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
