Seven acres of fine art and craft

Next weekend, people will have access to the seven-acre lawn of the Glensheen Mansion, which will be sprinkled with vendor tents and artists.

The 18th annual Glensheen Festival of Fine Art and Craft will feature 78 artists this year, but it hasn't always been this big.

"When it first started, it was a one-day show with about 20 artists, all on the carriage house lawn," Lori Melton, marking director, told the Budgeteer. "Now our artists cover the Glensheen's seven acres of Lake Superior shoreline."

These artists specialize in variety of art, such as glass, pottery, painting, metal art, fiber, and felt. Other craft items such as soaps and candles will also be sold.

"It's really phenomenal and unique," she said. "There's a huge variety of handmade, original, quality arts and crafts."

Besides admiring all of the art, visitors can also tour the Glensheen at regular rates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 11 and 12.

The festival starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

"We keep our gates closed until 9 a.m. so the artists have all the set-up time they need," she said. "Inevitably our festival visitors start to line up outside the gate, eagerly scanning the map and charting their course to their favorite artist while they wait. This is one of my favorite parts of this wonderful event."

Not only will festival-goers be able to admire the multitude of art, but they'll also get a chance to talk to the artists about their work and even watch demonstrations.

"The collaboration between artists and visitors and their interactions just adds so much to a piece of art," she said.

Last summer, the Budgeteer covered the "CREATE artists" group. The group was started by the Entrepreneur Fund as a way to help artists turn their passion into their livelihood.

Eleven of those artists will have a collaborative booth at the festival with their work, ranging from glass and fiber to photography and jewelry.

"Since our mission is to turn art into a livelihood, these artists want to let people know who they are and what they're creating," said Joyce Yamamoto, a mentor for the CREATE artists, "and that's important since they're all from Duluth."

Admission to the art fair is free, with free parking available on the Glensheen grounds, as well as at UMD's Maroon Lot B. Round-trip shuttles will run approximately every twenty minutes during festival hours on both days.

For more information about the Glensheen Festival of Fine Art and Craft, visit www.glensheen.org or call (218)726-8910.