ARTS: "100 American Craftsmen" show is a festival with focus

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May 31, 2007

Anonymous The Tonawanda News Thu May 31, 2007, 03:08 PM EDT

What: 100 American Craftsmen

When: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Where:Kenan Arena, 195 Beattie Ave., Lockport

Cost: $6, with a $1 coupon available at www.kenancenter.org

Forget about the kettle corn. Don’t bother looking for turkey legs. And don’t worry about getting those embarrassing hat and sunglasses tan lines.

It’s not that the 37th annual “100 American Craftsmen” show at Lockport’s Kenan Center is against food or fun. There are, in fact, a good number of games, meals and snacks, prizes and distractions for visitors young and old.

It’s just that, compared to other festivals around the region, even those centered on arts and crafts, the Kenan show stands out for its focus on displaying the work of local artisans and artists, front and center.

“For an artist who’s displaying, this show is really cool,” said Chris Stangler, a Lockport resident who will man a booth to sell his hand-crafted paper designs. “This is one of the few shows that gets people to really notice the fine art and craft that goes into the work. When you do other outdoor shows around here, in Ohio, Florida ... you realize how crazy they can be.”

While artists enjoy greater one-on-one discussions with potential buyers and an even indoor climate, festival-goers get to experience live music throughout the weekend, herbal plant and Quilter’s Guild sales, open access to the Kenan Center’s mansion and gallery, two gourmet food vendors and an “artspace” for children.

Elaine Harrigan, marketing director for the Kenan Center, said the most significant change to this year’s Craftsmen show is its media presence. Travers Collins & Company, one of the show’s sponsors, launched a multi-media advertising campaign in the spring with an attention-grabbing them -- a striking image of a radiant green blown-glass piece, for instance, is accompanied by an enticement to “Get blown away.”

“We launched the campaign to reach that last section of the region that doesn’t know about this great event in their own area,” Harrigan said.

For Stangler, more attention from visitors usually means more sales. He said that after explaining the process by which he recombines other artists’ scraps, prints, pine needles and other man-made and natural ingredients into a sheet’s worth of ideas to his booth’s guests, he’ll often receive a call or e-mail later seeking a purchase.

“People have time to think about it, and they really want to know about the artist and how the work is made,” Stangler said. “I just make things I would like to own, and hope that connects with people ... it seems to work pretty well at this festival.”

The 100 American Craftsmen show will be judged by jury, with four awards totaling $1,750 presented at the show’s end. For information on the show, visit kenancenter.org or call 433-2617.

Contact reporter Kevin Purdy at 693-1000, ext. 107.

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