By Jim Bloch
Art lovers and freighter fans will intermingle in St. Clair’s Palmer Park on the banks of the St. Clair River for the 55th edition of the St. Clair Art Fair.
The fair opens at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 27 and runs until 6 p.m. On Sunday, June 28, the hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Organizers are expecting more than 130 artists to set up their booths along the boardwalk and sidewalk that spans the tree-studded Palmer Park, directly across North Riverside Avenue from Riverside Plaza.
The artists will represent a rainbow of media, including oil, acrylic and watercolor painting, sculpture, woodwork, pottery, fiber art, glass, jewelry, leather work, furniture and mixed media.
Artists of particular interest include Anna Barnhart, a painter from Kalamazoo in Booth 20. You can almost smell the sweet, floral, piney scent of her “Lavender Fields,” with its row upon row of the purple herb curving toward a tree-line horizon, or the fruity blossoms of her impressionistic “Traverse City Cherry Tree,” or the clean lake breeze in her “Mission Point Lighthouse.”
In Booth 33, Adelfa and Clay Dowling, of Dexter, will show their dramatic nature photography, which sometimes echoes the great English maritime painter of the early 19th J.M.W. Turner, especially in their print “Midnight Gate.”
Tim Drier’s freighter and train paintings rise above the crowd, especially “Fog on the St. Mary’s.” The Holt based painter will be in booth 28.
The fair is produced by the St. Clair Art Association and its volunteer members. The art association is headquartered in the Alice Moore Center for the Arts inside Riverview Plaza. The art center will function as the fair’s headquarters and will be open to visitors.
“Lavender Field.”
In addition to its sales gallery, the art center’s “Summer Vibes,” which opened June 11, will be on view during the fair.
“There will be demonstrating artists, music, food and drink vendors, and youth activities,” according to the organizers.
Mert Sela, the classical flamenco guitarist from Turkey, will perform on stage in the park 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday, June 28.
In addition to food trucks and their fair fare, St. Clair is home to plenty of restaurants. In the plaza, visitors may choose from Anchor Point Bistro, Mannina’s Italian, War Water Brewery, Hamlin Pub, Fowler’s Creamery, Subway, St. Clair Coney, Dragon Wok and Hungry Howie’s Pizza. Beyond the plaza are the St. Clair Inn, the Voyageur, Pepper Joe’s, Murphy Inn, Ted’s Coney Island, LaCroix’s Riverside Pub, Jet’s Pizza and CocoBella’s Bakery.
The art association is headed by part-time executive director Jan Prusik. Julie Alef is board president, Jason Stier is vice-president, Gwen Bresinski is treasurer, and Lori Barney serves as secretary. The board members are Vicky Path, Dave Fry, Ralph Beattie, Heather Hyslop, Wendy Harder and Jesse White. Most of the officers and board members are artists themselves.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
