Registered Vendor- Marulanna Mehndi Henna Body Art
August 18th, 2010Marulanna Mehndi Henna Body Art-
Anna Felkers
Henna body art and henna decorated crafts
marulannamehndi.googlepages.com
Registered Vendor- Trevor Dobias
August 18th, 2010
Registered Vendor- The Missing Peace
August 18th, 2010The Missing Peace-
Victoria Zalokar
Original abstract paintings, vintage goods, sewn goods, screen printed artwork and clothing
viktorialee.etsy.com
Registered Vendor- Dinderbeck Studio
August 18th, 2010
Tshirts, prints, and handmade paper
Search for them on Facebook
Registered Vendor- Random Arts
August 18th, 2010
Down-to-Earth Musician Gives Back to Grand Rapids Community
August 10th, 2010Musically inclined from the start and sharing life lessons through songs and melodies, this environmentally friendly musician knows how to stay true to inspirations.
Kurt Denison grew up on the west coast of Michigan. He learned to play several instruments at a young age such as the piano at age six, and later the saxophone and guitar. Kurt writes and produces all of his own music here in Grand Rapids. In July this summer, Kurt’s first album titled Surface was released. The album’s sound is so raw that it captures the birds chirping and the sounds of the falling rain outside of his window.
“I enjoy music that is simple and authentic,” Kurt explained. “Songs that are too over processed with excess noise don’t seem true to the music anymore.”
Some people relate Kurt Denison’s music to other singer/songwriters like Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews because of the acoustic nature and soothing sound. Other musicians and genres also inspire Kurt, such as jazz music, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, and other jam bands.
One thing that makes this musician a bit more unique than other artists is that 100% of the proceeds from his album Surface go towards environmental groups such as Friends of GR Parks.
“I am constantly inspired by nature in life and in music. Parks are important and it was an easy decision to give it to something better than myself,” Kurt expressed.
Kurt’s plans for the future involved playing more shows around Michigan, such as the Avenue for the Arts Market. He has played there several times in the past and will be performing on August 14th.
“I love the community feel of the Market. It really promotes artists and makes them feel appreciated—because they should!”
To find out more about Kurt, check out his website and Facebook. To listen to his music and buy his new album, search the iTunes store. To meet Kurt, come down to the Avenue for the Arts Market from 4-9 pm on August 14th.
Artist and Vendor by Day, Volunteer by Night– the Work of Sarah Cash
August 8th, 2010In today’s tough economy it’s hard for an artist to make a living. Sarah Cash of Forrest Concepts is pulling out all the stops by diversifying the range of art she creates and sells. She uses recycling techniques, as well as more traditional metalworking in her work. Having a range of products that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing makes Sarah one interesting vendor to look out for!
Unlike traditional artists, Sarah learned the arts of jewelry and metalworking from her father, John Diem, not an expensive art school. Her father went to school for art and then passed down his skills and passion to his daughter. He taught Sarah her how to create chains, stamp charms, and make a variety of other jewelry out of metal.
“After a long day it’s nice to pound on some metal and play with fire,” Sarah expressed. “I can work on it anywhere from five minutes to five hours. I really enjoy it.”
Sarah began in 2005 selling fine jewelry at the markets with her husband, Butch, and then two years ago transitioned to selling items with better price points due to the changing economy. After her husband rescued a box of discarded vintage books from the library and purchased a bookbinding machine, the star of Forrest Concepts was born. The 100% recycled vintage children’s book journals are a hot-seller at the local markets. Each journal is unique in it’s own way with a one-of-a-kind hard cover and pages incorporated from the original books. Along with the journals, a plethora of colored votive candles in Dixie cups were also created to sell at the markets.
When Sarah isn’t creating art and selling it online or around Michigan, she is helping run a market herself. It’s called the Fulton Street Artisans Market and occurs every Sunday during the summer. Sarah volunteers with a team of three other people and is in charge of artist relations. She keeps up with emails, Facebook, website, and other promotional duties of the FSAM.
“We have wonderfully talented artists that don’t know how to promote themselves. It’s my job to help them do that,” Sarah explains.
The future plans of Forrest Concepts include expanding upon the recycled journals by creating purses or jewelry boxes out of the playful hard covers. Sarah also wishes to create more candles in a variety of colors and styles.
If you would like to learn more about Sarah and Forrest Concepts, you can visit their Etsy page, Facebook, or website. To meet Sarah in person, come to the Avenue for the Arts Market on August 14th and September 11th, 2010 from 4-9pm!
Registered Vendor- REC Turnings
August 4th, 2010
Registered Vendor- Papillon Designs
August 4th, 2010
Papillon Designs-
Jo Gage
Dolls, bags, and onesies
Registered Vendor- Logic Systems Lab
August 4th, 2010
Logic System Labs-
Joel Howell
Recycled/found object art and paintings, 3D collages and sculptures, 2D paintings
