Krasl Art Fair 2010

Today was the first of the two days of the 2010 Krasl Art Fair in St. Joseph. While it was a pleasant pool and beach day, it was uncomfortably warm up on the bluff where the art fair was held. However, that didn't diminish the crowds!

D, L, Jo & I had breakfast at Thornton's, which had a line out the door waiting for a table, and then we made our way over to the Krasl about 10:30 am. We purchased "Krasl Bucks" this year which allowed us to take advantage of preferred parking at the Krasl. Saweet! The Krasl Bucks package also included a ticket to breakfast at Port 412 but my understanding was that it was a "Continental Breakfast". We were looking for something more substantial hence breakfast at Thorntons. We were given a "goodie bag" (part of the Krasl Bucks package) which consisted of an art fair poster, a pencil and pen, a key ring, a writing journal, hand sanitizer, and a printed piece about the permanent sculptures that belong to the Krasl. We also got passes for "refreshments" at the Boulevard Inn. All in all, it was a very nice package! We got all of this for buying $100 worth of gift certificates to be used at the art fair. Such a deal!

We started walking the art fair at the south end of Lake Bluff Park. It was very warm but the art was beautiful. We didn't walk long before we came across this gentleman, Lawrence Packard, who was drawing some really intricate pictures of old ships on replica old maps. I'm always amazed at those who have the talent for precision drawing. I considered buying one of his pieces and may go back tomorrow to do so.

By the time we made our way as far as the Boulevard Inn (over an hour later) we were really hot, and tired, and thirsty. So, we went inside and took advantage of our "refreshment passes". It was nice to get a break from the heat and spend some time in the lovely air conditioned hotel. The refreshments consisted of cream of mushroom soup, Caesar salad, a warm chicken/pasta dish, and pitchers of ice water. We were joined by one of the artists who was exhibiting at the fair and we had a delightful conversation with her about the St Joseph area and the Krasl Art Fair.

After our light repast, we went back outside and resumed our meandering among the art booths. In just a short time we came upon the art of Gregg Billman and were drawn in by the subject matter (dogs) and the bold colors of his work.

The vibrant Doberman immediately caught our eye. The size was bigger than I would have liked and the price, well, fine art is never cheap. Lucky for us, there was a smaller proof size piece available for purchase. We just had to have it! Gregg showed us his selection of frames and we agreed to have the print mounted. He took care of that for us while we made our way further along the line of booths. When we got to the half way point, where Broad St. meets Lake Blvd, we turned back.

We returned to Gregg's booth and picked up our artwork before calling it a day. L and Jo also bought a piece of art, a kitten air brushed on silk, but I don't remember the name of the artist. We were all happy with our purchases and ready to make our way back to the condo. Three hours of walking the art fair was enough for us!

It was a wonderful day in St Joseph!

Comments

  1. My family vacations in St. Joseph, MI every summer so I was glad to come across your site. I love the Whirlpool fountain and think that it really beautifies the area in front of Silver Beach. Please see my recent blogpost on the fountain.

    St. Joseph, MI

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