Shelby Township

Shelby Township art festival invites patrons to get creative

By Brad D. Bates
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « File photo by Erin Sanchez Connie Borrie, of Lapeer, works on a garden gnome outside her booth at the 2011 Shelby Township Art Fair. File photo by Erin Sanchez Connie Borrie, of Lapeer, works on a garden gnome outside her booth at the 2011 Shelby Township Art Fair.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Along with offering the usual wares and sights of an art festival, the 2012 Shelby Township Art Fair is looking to draw out your artist within Aug. 11 and 12.

With several interactive displays and activities set up, the fair’s organizers are hoping that patrons can take inspiration from the professional artists and strike out on their own to create art on the township’s municipal grounds at 52700 Van Dyke Ave.

“We have a lot really great things, like the sand sculptor who is going to be here creating some of the large, amazing sand sculptures you see on the Internet,” Art Fair Committee Secretary Pam Reinhardt said. “So people can come in and see how she does it and then get involved with it themselves.”

“Anything to help draw people out and promote the arts,” Reinhardt added.

Along with “Sand Pirate” Janet Schrader’s demonstration, interactive activities like “Cirque Amongus,” which is being performed both days at 12:30 p.m. behind the band shell, and free drop-in drawing classes for kids and adults both days at 2:30 p.m. give visitors ample opportunities to take part in the arts.

“The Shelby Township Art Fair is part of what makes this a great community,” Township Supervisor Richard Stathakis said. “I always look forward to seeing the kids and families all enjoying themselves and having a good time.”

The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 11 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 12. It also features musical and dance performances at the band shell, but the stars are the more than 75 professional artists set up in front of the band shell to display and sell their wares and compete in the fair’s judged competition.

“It’s a great setting, and it all comes together really great,” Stathakis said of the fair.

Along with artists, this year’s festival will feature vendors selling their Michigan made products, with companies from as far as Interlochen to as close as the seven businesses from Shelby Township and Utica.

Some tried and true portions of the fair that are back are the special area for youngsters, which features a craft and activity area where kids can create art of their own, and live animals brought in by the Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center.

And there will also be tours of the Andrews Schoolhouse Museum by the Shelby Township Historical Committee, and the Hope Chapel will be open, too.

Patrons will have almost as many choices on hand to satisfy their hunger as there are ways to work it up, with such items as ice cream, custard, kettle corn and roasted nuts available along with the Shelby Lions Club Kitchen’s full menu.

For more information, contact the Shelby Township Parks, Recreation and Maintenance Department at (586) 731-0300 or email Pam Reinhardt at preinhardt@shelbytwp.org.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1029.