West Shore Art Fair is this weekend.

June 29, 2015

LUDINGTON — Ludington’s 2015 West Shore Art Fair will take place this coming weekend. The annual juried fine art and fine craft show will have exhibitors from a broad cross-section of the country. The 47th annual open-air show takes place July 4-5 at City Park, and features 115 artists from 21 states and one artist from Belgium.

Sponsored by the Ludington Area Center for the Arts (LACA), the two-day fine art and craft experience features original works across a variety of media including fiber, jewelry, clay and glass, and other two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. More than half the exhibitors are returning artists from last year or previous years, while almost 40 percent are new to the Ludington show. New this year is an “emerging artists” category that provides artists who haven’t exhibited at a juried art show before the chance to exhibit. Two emerging artists will exhibit.

“Art fair patrons are going to love our selection of artists this year,” said Corinn VanWyck, LACA executive director. “Our beautiful juried art fair in northern Michigan is turning heads in the art community. We’re attracting new and more national artists than ever before, a testament to the positive experiences of our artists and patrons. Put Ludington on your list of Michigan’s top art fairs to shop for excellent original, hand-crafted art.” 

In addition to juried fine art and fine craft for purchase, the show will feature two days of live musical performances sponsored by West Shore Bank, with sound equipment donated by Instrumental Music. Food vendors also will sell everything from elephant ears and kettle corn, to crepes and gourmet hot dogs.The show also features a children’s arts activity area.

Art Fair Entertainment Lineup

Saturday July 4

9:45 – 10:45 a.m.           Ludington Recorder Group (traditional)

11 a.m. – noon               The Sunset Ramblers (folk)

12:15 – 1:15 p.m.           Fremont John (contemporary blues/rock)

1:30 – 3:45 p.m.             INTERLUDE – Ludington Area Jaycees Freedom Festival Grand Parade (2 p.m.)

4 – 5 p.m.                      Awesome Distraction (rock)

Sunday July 5

10 – 11 a.m.                   Ron Johnson (jazz piano)

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.  Frank Galante (classical guitar)

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.           Mallie and Emma (pop/alternative)

1:45 – 2:45 p.m.             Steve and Kaedin Plummer (jazz guitar)

3 – 4 p.m.                      Kevin Curran (country/folk)

Children’s Arts Activities

A children’s area sponsored by Indian Summer will offer a variety of arts and crafts activities, including:

  • “Sand art” tent ($5 per craft)
  • Balloon creations and caricature art by John Marek*
  • Face painting with special appearance by Miss Ludington Area 2015, July 5, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.*
  • Youth for Understanding activity
  • Finger knitting
  • Pipe cleaner and bead crafts

*Denotes activities provided for a donation

Additionally, children can shop without adult supervision in a Children’s Art Shopping Tent filled with original art for $5 apiece, donated by the exhibiting artists.

Commemorative 2015 West Shore Art Fair Poster

Artist and Ludington resident Chris VanWyck designed the commemorative 2015 West Shore Art Fair poster available for purchase at the show’s information booth – a limited-edition, signed, 10-inch x 20-inch giclée print for $40. VanWyck’s boldly-colored, art deco-styled image was inspired by Ludington’s North Breakwater Lighthouse. VanWyck has worked in the arts for more than 30 years, both through his day job as brand manager at CiesaDesign in Lansing, and as an artist in his own right.

VanWyck designed the 2014 West Shore Art Fair poster, which won the Overall Best award in Sunshine Artist magazine’s 19th annual Show Poster Contest, earning it a place on the cover of the magazine’s May 2015 issue. The 2014 poster also will be on sale at the information booth in an 18-inch x 24-inch limited-edition, signed silkscreen print for $40, or an 11-inch x 17-inch offset print version for $10.

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