Wednesday, June 3, 2009

September, 2009 Country Folk Art Festival

We’ve had a lot of positive feedback on the “blogs” that we ran in advance of our March show, with people saying that they were enjoyable to read, providing interesting background on the various artisans as well as specific information as to the type of merchandise that one could expect to find at our shows. So on with the “blogs!

Many folks who have never attended one of our shows and who have come across our website, will phone us asking just what our shows are all about. So for all who wonder just what we’re up to, here are some tidbits for your perusal. People who attend our shows tell us they have literally been “blown away” at what they’ve seen! They’ve found an eclectic selection of handmade furniture and decorative accessories that they’ve never seen anywhere else. Many of these same people, including our younger customers, said the things they’ve found at our shows have solicited rave reviews and enabled them to totally transform their interior décor and establish a refreshing new look. Their homes no longer look like everyone else in the neighborhood!

And for the guys out there who wouldn’t be caught dead at a craft show, you can relax and eliminate those thoughts completely! It’s perfectly okay to tag along with your wife or girlfriend. In fact, when you see our show we’re sure you’ll be hooked! We’re not your typical craft show that you can find anywhere in the country on a given weekend with the same repetitive and boring merchandise. In fact, we’re not a craft show at all. What we are is a wonderfully unique Americana show featuring the finest award-winning artisans and craftsmen offering an incredibly diverse selection of handmade furniture and accent pieces. And it’s all handmade in America and presented by the individual craftsmen who made it. No imports! No mass-produced merchandise! No gift-show items!

Excitement is definitely brewing here at the home office! It’s a cold, rainy spring day, but our plans for the fall Country Folk Art Festival on September 25, 26, & 27 at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, Illinois are well underway, and we are incredibly enthused with much good news to date. Many of the artisans and craftsmen who were unable to participate in our March show will be joining us this fall, along with some the past masters who haven’t been with us for quite some time. In addition, we’ll be presenting some brand new, recently discovered, highly talented individuals who have never exhibited with us before.

Returning to the show after a long absence will be Dan and Marlene Coble with their amazing examples of painted furniture; folk artist, Tom Kelly with his imaginative, funky carvings; Mike Naylor and Trudy Close with their dried florals and folk art, plus a sampling of original antiques; Mike (Michelle) Ochonicky with her hand-etched scrimshaw; Carole Behrer with her scherenschnitte (historic scissor cuttings) and theorems, plus a number of others!

Watch for many more “blogs” to come with additional details about our show and its participants.

Lee & Judy Marks