40 Years Old and Looking Better Than Ever

By Brianne Harrison

In 1968, a group of women in Montclair decided to open a one-room schoolhouse devoted to progressive education. As with any venture, this one needed money to survive, so to provide funding, they also began an arts and crafts fair. The first event mostly featured a collection of handmade items displayed on card tables.

Now, 40 years later, that arts and crafts fair has exploded into a three-day juried exhibition that draws in some of the best artisans from around the country. Art in the Park, held at the Montclair Art Museum and still presented by the Montclair Cooperative School (which has outgrown its single room considerably), also brings in thousands of visitors and is a staple of the local calendar.

What can one expect to find there? Work by more than 80 artisans, chosen by a distinguished panel that includes the curator of decorative arts at the Newark Museum, the executive director of the American Craft Council, and a highly respected artist who has shown extensively both nationally and abroad. Works of art in sculpture, glass, metal, ceramics, and fibers as well as exquisite and unusual jewelry will be available for sale. For a preview, visit montclaircoop.org/artinthepark.

For those who would rather take in the good weather than the art for sale, there will also be live musical performances throughout the weekend, including hometown band Parents who Rock. Applegate Farms will be providing a make-your-own sundae tent, and a Whole Foods barbeque will take place on Saturday. For the youngest members of the family, there will be arts and crafts activities, including doll making, beading, toobers and zots, and t-shirt decorating; as well as a rock-climbing wall.

The 40th Annual Art in the Park will be held May 1-3 at the Montclair Art Museum, 3 S. Mountain Ave., Montclair. Suggested admission for families is $10.00. Hours of operation are Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Feeling Crafty

By Brianne Harrison

I am a craft show junkie. I can’t resist the opportunity to marvel at other people’s creativity and skill and get a (very early) start on my Christmas shopping. So, when I heard that the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival was starting off its spring season in New Jersey this weekend, I started to get pretty excited.

Before we go any further, I should point out that these are not your typical neighborhood or church fundraiser craft shows. There are no piles of crocheted afghans or popsicle stick birdhouses. The people who show at these festivals are genuine artists who create everything from exquisite paintings to jewelry you won’t find anywhere else to handwoven baskets, spectacular pottery, and handmade furniture. They can do things with a tree trunk or a chunk of metal that you and I never dreamed of. And while the prices can run high, you definitely get what you pay for. Purchases easily become heirlooms, and you’ll never see that necklace on someone else at a party or that sculpture adorning someone else’s mantelpiece.

Sugarloaf maintains a certain quality and doesn’t allow just anyone to show—all the artisans are selected by a jury that judges them on quality of design, workmanship, and materials. The show has grown since its founding in 1975 and now travels to 17 locations throughout the country and attracts nearly 350,000 visitors. It serves as a marketplace every year for artisans who otherwise might find it difficult to show their wares, and who are suffering just like everyone else (if not more so) in these difficult economic times.

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival will be at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday March 13-15. Tickets are available online for $7 or are $8 at the door. For more information, visit sugarloafcrafts.com.