For the 10th year, artists from across the country will showcase art at the Levis Commons Fine Art Fair.
Levis Commons and the juried fair, sponsored by The Guild of Artists & Artisans, have had a partnership since the outdoor Perrysburg mall’s opening. This year, the two-day event takes place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 16 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 17.
“The Perrysburg community has really embraced this event,” said Karen Delhey, marketing director for The Guild of Artists & Artisans. “There’s a very loyal audience that comes back and it continues to grow. They appreciate it and they engage with the artists, which is wonderful. It’s not like that everywhere.”
Delhey added that the fair is giving exposure to artists who otherwise wouldn’t have any. At the fair, browsers can meet and talk with each artist.
Plenty of media will be featured, including photography, jewelry, ceramics, glass, drawing, multimedia, sculpture, fiber, leather, wood, paintings and more. Delhey said it’s hard to view it all.
Close to 140 artists are included in the fair, many from Toledo and surrounding cities. Many have participated in the show previously.
Toledo painter Mary Jane Erard has participated in the fair for the past four years. This year, she said, people may notice some differences in her work.
“People who know my work best notice that my use of color has become more sophisticated,” she said in an email. “It seems to really resonate with my collectors.”
Toledo’s Carolyn Newell will present her glass work at the festival for the first time this year. She will have work ranging in price from $30 to $300. Some of Newell’s work is inspired by the coral she used to see when she was a diver.
“My pieces are made of hundreds of pieces of glass to give it the movement and depth and to really bring out the colors,” she said. “I dream it at night and I have to wake up in the morning and figure out how to do it.”
The fair will also feature a free children’s activity center presented by the Toledo School for the Arts. For more information, visit leviscommonsfineartfair.com.
