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Art al fresco

When warm weather arrives, art fairs start to pop up everywhere.

We all know what summer means — days at the beach, boat rides, marshmallow roasts . . . and shopping.

Not at malls but under the little white tents that pop up wherever there's a festival, on the shores of lakes, in parks and on picturesque town squares. That's where the region's most accomplished potters, glass makers, jewelers, painters, weavers and photographers bring out their wares and make themselves available to whoever cares to stop — customers, passersby, admirers.

At Duluth's Park Point Art Fair, Frank Garcia of Duluth cast himself into the last category as he went from one photographer's booth to another, looking enviously at beautifully composed portraits of wildlife, flora and landscapes.

"I wish I could see something like that," he said. "I get a little jealous and humbled. I'm a musician, not a photographer, and I use my ears more. So, I took up photography so I can start opening my eyes a little more."

At each booth, Garcia stopped to chat with the artist.

"Even if I don't buy, I've seen some beautiful things by the end of the day," he said. "They're interesting people who interact with life in a completely different way."

Set up near the end of the sand spit that forms Duluth's harbor, across the Aerial Lift Bridge from Canal Park, the Park Point Art Fair is a favorite among vendors as well as shoppers. At one year's fair, both groups were enjoying the warm sun and breezes off Lake Superior, even Grace Strong of Ironwood, Mich., who wasn't selling many of her thick, handmade Norwegian sweaters but was handing out a lot of her cards.

"This is just a nice location, and you get to see a lot of nice people," she said.

For shoppers, it's a golden opportunity to get to know interesting artists and to see new works by artists they already know. At Park Point, the first familiar face I saw belonged to Rudi Hargesheimer of Two Harbors, whose photographs of the North Shore were selling well, especially one of Tettegouche's Shovel Point coated in ice.

"Everyone loves it, but half the people say, 'Oh, I wouldn't want that on my wall because it looks too cold,'" he said.

Farther along, I was glad to see photographer Jim Gindorff of St. Paul, because I'd wanted a framed print of his striking "Oak Leaves"' ever since I'd bought the image on a $4 greeting card at a fair two years earlier. Luckily for Gindorff, most people don't spend that long deliberating about spending $120.

"I've had people coming through on their way to their cabin in Grand Marais, and they'll say, 'I'll take this one and this one and that one,' and I'll think, where do they get their money?" he said. "I don't try to talk them out of it, though."

Gindorff also says nothing when people bring paint samples and sofa swatches so they can find matching art, though, "It's not what I thought I'd be doing as a photographer, selling home decor." But most buyers, he says, are interested in his artistry and want to know how he got the image and where he took it.

"That's the No. 1 reason to get out there in public, to interact with people and get feedback and hear their stories," he says. "So many people come and share their experiences on places they know, and a lot of time, you end up getting tips on other places to go."

Call of the loon

Strolling along between rows of booths, I was drawn by the call of a loon. It turned out to be coming from Carlton potters Jim and Mary Lee Henriques, who made a loon whistle one day as a lark and now are known as "the loon potters." The exquisite dinner plates, vases and pots they primarily make sell well, but the $10 whistles fly out by the dozens.

"Now, if we don't bring them, people say, 'Where are the loons?'" Mary Lee Henriques says.

At a jewelry booth, Aaron Kahmann of Minneapolis had found his own way to lure customers.

"My customers are women from their 20s to 50s, so I buy some incense and put on some Joni Mitchell, Carole King or Billie Holiday," said Kahmann, who sells his hand-worked necklaces in the summers and travels the world with a backpack the rest of the year. "They come in and buy something and say, 'I didn't even mean to stop by.'"

As I deliberated over his delicate necklaces, I noticed a crowd was gathering around me, and soon I could barely move. One shopper, Kahmann confirmed, always draws others.

"Oh yeah, in the Twin Cities I have all my girlfriends stop by," he said.

Dennis Swanson of Ironwood's Masterpiece Boats was attracting attention just by displaying a magnificent hand-built canoe of bird's-eye maple and cedar strips.

"That's a $3,500 canoe," he said. "The buyer probably won't even use it — he'll put it in his living room. If you build a $2 million lake home, you can do anything you want."

Swanson was attracting attention, but not the high-end buyers he needs.

"Oh, I never sell anything in Duluth," he said. Mostly, he goes to accompany his wife, Terry, who was selling pottery next door. Once, the couple had "real" jobs in Washington, D.C.

"One day, we got in a sailboat and said, 'To hell with it,'" he said. "This is better than working for somebody."

At Rosanna Hope's booth, the outrageous handbags she calls "shoulder jewelry" were attracting smiles from passing women.

"Look at these crazy purses!" said Lacey MacGregor of Virginia, Minn., rubbing her cheek against a handbag that resembled a pink Shih Tzu. "I really like them."

Hope now lives on a sheep farm near Kimball, but she spent many years designing hats for Kentucky Derby fashion shows. Her handbags, made with Mongolian lamb, coq feathers, silk, glass beads and embossed Italian feather, have the same flair.

"I was nervous, because I hadn't done a show before, and I wasn't sure how Northern folks would like them," she said. "But I've gotten a lot of nice responses, and I sold 11 yesterday."

Different characters

As I walked along, chatting with the artists and collecting postcards of art I might want to buy someday, a harpist played. Children played on a giant wood ore boat, and vendors sold gyros and kettle corn.

One way the Park Point Art Fair keeps its easygoing atmosphere, says coordinator Carla Tamburro of the Park Point Community Club, is by limiting the show to 110 exhibitors.

The club, which organizes the fair, makes life easy on the artists by allowing them to pull right into their spots, camping if they wish, and treating them to coffee, ice water, doughnuts and a Saturday-night dinner.

"It's not always the biggest moneymaker for them, but they come back because they're treated well and compensated in other ways," she said. "A lot of times, art fairs become really commercial and kind of a crazy scene; we keep it low-key."

The club now makes the fair even more family-oriented, she said, with hands-on art activities, storytelling and musical acts.

Nearly every art fair offers food and entertainment, especially those that are part of a community festival. But each has a different character.

Minneapolis' Uptown Art Fair in August is known as a high-end affair, with 385 fine artists who attract 400,000 discerning buyers to a small urban area.

Little Falls' Arts & Crafts Fair is spread out, with 850 exhibitors who attract hordes looking for art in a more country-crafts style.

Both shows are juried, which means artists are invited based on their portfolios. But artist selections depend on the tastes of the juries.

Many of the fairs are very popular, and people who plan to build a summer weekend around one should reserve lodgings ahead of time.

Trip tips: Outdoors art fairs

Below is a guide to some of the best outdoors art fairs in the region. All are in attractive settings and in towns that have many attractions for tourists. All are juried.

People who want to visit art fairs in popular weekend destinations — Duluth, Grand Marais, Bayfield, Ely, Red Wing, Madison — should reserve lodgings in the spring.

Here are 2008 dates for some of the best fairs.

May

May 17-18, Rivertown Art Festival in Stillwater, Minn.,  www.rivertownartfestival.com; 651-439-4001, www.ilovestillwater.com.

 May 17, Faire on the Square in Baraboo, Wis., near Wisconsin Dells, www.faireonthesquare.com; 1-800-227-2266, www.baraboochamber.com. While you're there, visit Circus World Museum, the International Crane Foundation and Devil's Lake State Park.

May 30-June 1, Edina Art Fair in Edina, Minn., 952-922-1524, www.50thandfrance.com. The 40th annual show at 50th and France is expected to draw 375 exhibitors and 60,000 people.

May 31-June 1, Street Faire at the Lakes in Detroit Lakes,  www.dlstreetfaire.com. A visit to this western Minnesota resort town would be a good way to kick off summer, 1-800-542-3992, www.visitdetroitlakes.com.

June

June 7-8, Art on the Lake in Excelsior, 952-474-6461, www.excelsiorartonthelake.com. The show has a lovely setting in a park on Lake Minnetonka, near a sand beach, a playground and tennis courts.

June 14-15, Wells Street Art Festival in Chicago, 1-773-868-3010, Ext. 269, www.chicagoevents.com. The Old Town Art Fair is nearby; together, the two fairs are expected to have 510 exhibitors and draw 110,000 visitors.

June 14-15, Stone Arch Festival of the Arts on the downtown Minneapolis riverfront, www.stonearchfestival.com; 1-888-676-6757, www.mississippimile.org.

June 15, Art in the Park in Lanesboro, 1-800-944-2670, www.lanesboro.com. Many fine artists live in and around this bluff-country burg, a favorite of bicyclists.

June 21, Art in East Park, Zumbrota, Minn., 1-507-732-7616, www.zaac.org. An hour south of the Twin Cities, this village will be hosting its Covered Bridge Music & Arts Festival the same weekend.

June 21-22, Land of the Loon Ethnic Arts & Crafts Festival in Virginia, Minn., 1-800-777-8497, www.ironrange.org. This Iron Range town festival features a parade and is held near Silver Lake, home of a 20-foot fiberglass loon.

June 28-29, Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair, www.springgreenartfair.com; 1-800-588-2042, www.springgreen.com. This arts community along the Wisconsin River also is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, House on the Rock and the American Players Theatre.

June 28-29, Park Point Art Fair in Duluth, www.parkpointcommunityclub.org; 1-800-438-5884, www.visitduluth.com. A few lucky folks will nab a room at Solglimt, a very fine bed-and-breakfast right on the Park Point beach, 1-877-727-0596, www.solglimt.com.

June 28-29, Downtown Art Annual in Kansas City, Mo., 816-842-1045, www.powerandlightdistrict.com. In the new Power & Light District at 14th and Walnut streets.

July

July 12-13, Art on the Square in Madison, 1-800-373-6376, www.visitmadison.com. This is a huge event, with nearly 500 exhibitors, but a universal favorite. Art Off the Square, along Lake Monona, adds 140 exhibitors, all from Wisconsin.

July 12-13, Grand Marais Arts Festival on the lakefront of Grand Marais, Minn., 1-800-897-7669, www.grandmarais.com. This small festival is very popular for its beautiful setting.

July 12-13, Phelps Mill Festival east of Fergus Falls in western Minnesota, www.phelpsmillfestival.com; 1-800-423-4571, www.ottertailcountry.com. This is one of western Minnesota's most popular festivals, held in a bucolic county park along the Otter Tail River, next to a restored 1889 flourmill and general store.

July 18-20, Highland Fest in St. Paul, www.highlandfest.com. On Ford Parkway, fairgoers stroll between artists, musicians and food vendors.

July 19, Stockholm Art Fair on Lake Pepin, www.stockholmartfair.com; 1-888-999-2619, www.mississippi-river.org. This tiny village hosts a small but beloved festival.

July 19-20, Art in the Park in Bemidji, 800-458-2223, www.visitbemidji.com. In the summer, few places are more refreshing than the shores of Lake Bemidji.

July 19, Majestic Pines Art Festival in Nisswa, 1-800-950-9610, www.nisswa.com. This resort town's festival is held around the Paul Bunyan State Trail.

July 19-20, Midsummer Festival of the Arts at John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wis., 1-920-458-6144, www.jmkac.org; 1-800-457-9497, www.sheboygan.org. This arts center a few blocks from Lake Michigan is renowned for outsider and folk art and is worth a visit any weekend.

July 25-27, Blueberry Arts Festival in Ely, 1-800-777-7281, www.ely.org. Another good excuse to visit this northwoods canoe town.

July 26, Art Sail in Clear Lake, Iowa, www.clearlakeartscenter.org; 1-800-285-5338, www.clearlakeiowa.com. This pleasant lakeside town, two hours south of the Twin Cities, hosts the Iowa Storytelling Festival and Lakeside DixieFest on the same weekend.

July 26, Festival of Arts in Bayfield, Wis.; 1-800-447-4094, www.bayfield.org. Few settings are more picturesque than Bayfield's Memorial Park on Lake Superior.

July 26-27, Art on the Rocks on scenic Presque Isle Park in Marquette, Mich., surrounded by Lake Superior. www. artontherocks.org.

July 26-27, Art in the Park in Alexandria, www.alexandriaareaarts.org.  The lakes are the traditional draw; this summer, try the 55-mile Central Lakes Trail, which cuts through downtown, 1-800-235-9441, www.alexandriamn.org..

August

Aug. 1-3, Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis, www.uptownminneapolis.com. It's big, with 385 exhibitors; ride a bike or take the bus.

Aug. 2, Waterfront Art Festival in Escanaba, Mich., 906-786-3833.

Aug. 2-3, Loring Park Art Festival on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, www.loringparkartfestival.com, adds another 140 exhibits to the weekend, and Powderhorn Art Fair in Powderhorn Park, www.powderhornartfair.com, adds 180.

Aug. 8-10, Gold Coast-River North Art Fair in Chicago. More than 300 juried artists and 600,000 visitors celebrate art along LaSalle Street, at the intersections of Erie, Huron, and Superior.

Aug. 9, Summer Art Classic in Baraboo, Wis., 1-800-227-2266, www.baraboo.com.

Aug. 16, Festival of Fine Art and Craft at Glensheen in Duluth, 1-218-726-8910, www.d.umn.edu/glen. The historic Congdon estate on Lake Superior makes a lovely setting for art.

Aug. 16-17, Market Square Arts Festival in Galena. 815-777-1448, www.galena.org.

Aug. 22-24, Artstreet in Green Bay, Wis.; www.artseventsinc.com; 1-888-867-3342, www.packercountry.com. This large event includes four stages and strolling performers.

September

Sept. 5-7, Harvest Moon Festival in Ely, 1-800-777-7281, www.ely.org.

Sept. 6-7, Little Falls Arts & Crafts Fair, 1-320-632-5155, www.littlefallsmnchamber.com. This massive fair includes 850 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors.

Sept. 6-7, Riverfront Fine Arts & Crafts Festival in Northfield, www.northfieldartsguild.org; 1-800-658-2548, www.northfieldchamber.com. This fair along the Cannon River coincides with Defeat of Jesse James Days.

Sept. 6-7, Art in the Park and Festival of Arts in Wausau, www.wausaufestivalofarts.org.  While you're in town, visit the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. 1-888-9484748, www.visitwausau.com.

Sept. 20-21, Marine Art Fair in Marine on St. Croix, 651-433-3636. This village on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River hosts a fairly large fair, with 175 exhibitors.

Sept. 27-28, Afton Art in the Park, 1-715-386-2305, www.thephipps.org. This fair is small, but the St. Croix River village near Afton State Park is a favorite weekend destination.

October

Oct. 4-5, Fall Colors Fine Art & Jazz Festival in Lowell Park, Stillwater, 651-439-4001, www.ilovestillwater.com.

Oct. 11-12, Galena Country Fair in Galena, Ill., www.galenacountryfair.org; 1-877-464-2536, www.galena.org. This down-home fair is in Grant Park, along the river; reserve far in advance.

Oct. 11, Faire on the Square in Baraboo, www.faireonthesquare.com; 1-800-227-2266, www.baraboo.com.

Oct. 11-12, Fall Festival of the Arts in downtown Red Wing, www.redwingarts.org; 1-800-498-3444, www.redwing.org. This Mississippi River town is very popular in fall.

More information: For a free 68-page guide to 221 arts and craft fairs in Wisconsin, call 800-432-8747 or order at www.travelwisconsin.com.

The Minnesota Explorer lists some fairs; order at 888-868-7476 or 651-296-5029, www.exploreminnesota.com.

Last updated on June 5, 2008