I was all over the state this past weekend checking out various holiday craft shows. It was a whirlwind of art and crowds, holiday music and laughing Santas. I came out of the weekend full of inspiration and ready for the holidays.
Friday evening I stopped by the 27th annual UICA Holiday Art Market. Held at Steelcase Town Hall, the UICA show is known for it's talented artists and modern selections.
Saturday morning I swung by the Lowell High School for the 32nd Annual Lowell Art Market. The show had more than 100 artists, including ScrappyLynn, and massive crowds all day long. It was a fairly epic show with all sorts of holiday inspired crafts and food items.
From Lowell, I drove to Detroit for the 10th Annual Detroit Urban Craft Fair put on by Handmade Detroit. This show was quite different from the others, it had much younger artists and shoppers, and the pieces were very unique. Shoppers were very excited about what they were seeing.
So to recap my weekend, I want to share some of my favorites selections, most of which are from Michigan artists.
But before I end this post, I want to take a major sidebar to mention Detroit's Masonic Temple which was the location for the Urban Craft Fair. The building itself was a work of art. Completed in 1926, it has been the largest masonic temple in the world since 1939.
Located on Cass Corridor not far from the motor city casino, the building takes up a full city block. Within the massive structure there are ballrooms, auditoriums, theater, lodging, bowling alleys, and gymnasiums; totaling 1037 rooms. Detroit's Roller Derby team even plays here in the Drill Room, which has a sprung wood floor.
In April 2013, the building was threatened with foreclosure over $152,000 due in back taxes owed. The debt was paid off in May, and in June, it was revealed that $142,000 of the bill was footed by singer-songwriterJack White, whose mother used to work at the temple.
While the building could use some maintenance and TLC, it is definitely being utilized as is. From the little bit we saw, there was a swing dance gala, a club with DJs on multiple stages, and a formal dinner reception, all going on at the same time as the craft fair. Experiencing this building was an added bonus to the Urban Craft Fair.
None of Scrappy Lynn's stuff?
ReplyDeleteHmmmm.