An art and fine craft show that began in 2005 as a modest exhibit held in celebration of Earth Day has grown into the premier event of its type in the state. This year will mark the tenth time the Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show has been presented. Now held in observance of America Recycles Day, this year’s show will feature more than 60 professional artists.
Art lovers who attended shows in the past have been astonished to see the quality of art and fine crafts made from materials most people throw away. The event serves to demonstrate that with imagination, much of what we consider useless can be turned into something beautiful, and repurposing materials to create art will help save energy, natural resources, and landfill space.
Artists from Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio will show art and fine crafts such as painting, sculpture, jewelry, wearable art, woodworking, glass art, and weaving. Held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 15 at The Commons in Columbus, Indiana, the event is free and open to the public.
Returning for her third Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show is Indianapolis artist Anita Hopper. A member of the prestigious Indiana Artisan and the Featured Artist of this year’s show, Hopper visits thrift shops looking for old leather apparel and upholstery. She deconstructs and cleans the material, and then she repurposes it to make beautiful, one of a kind purses and accessories.
Hopper will join dozens more of amazing professional artists, with one third of the exhibitors participating in their first Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show. They include Indre Pralataviciute-Mineikiene who makes fantastic dragons and other paper mache characters and Kentucky Crafted member Cathy Wade Ridge, a master at creating wearable art entirely from gently used cashmere sweaters.
One of the more unusual entries is that of newcomer and Ohio artist Bob Blum who fashions jewelry from antique sequins, which date from 1890 to 1950. About five years ago, Blum came upon the glittery material when he discovered the sequins in a warehouse where they’d been abandoned since World War II. He bought the lot, and now he hand strings the little gems, combining them with beads and other materials, to create stunning necklaces that he calls art jewelry.
Martha Bladen of Vevay, Indiana is making her professional debut as an artist. Although she’s been creating her quilt-like collages for years, this will be the first time she’s appeared in a show as large as Déjà Vu. Painter Barry Beeker and metal artist Chuck Baker, both of Hope, Indiana, are participating in their first Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Shows, too.
Traveling from Fort Myers, Florida to participate for the first time is Hope Frasier. The Sunshine State artist uses a special material she invented to turn old fabric into waterproof containers. Ted Lyons and Ron Kerr search the Hoosier countryside looking for old barns to purchase and deconstruct. Back in their Greenfield workshop, they turn the wood into handsome furniture such as bed frames, benches, cabinets, and tables.
Children are encouraged to attend this daylong event, as there will be activities for them, as well. In celebration of America Recycles Day, employees from kidscommons Children’s Museum will present art activities with an earth-friendly theme. There’s no charge to participate, and kids of all ages are welcome.
In observance of the show’s tenth anniversary, several activities are planned during the week preceding the event. They include a children’s design competition called the Cardboard Challenge, a free showing of the award-winning documentary Waste Land, and a preview exhibit at Phi Gallery in the Hotel Indigo Columbus Architectural Center. A reception for the participating artists will be held there from 5:30 until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 14.
The Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District, Columbus Area Arts Council, Columbus Area Visitors Center, Hotel Indigo, Jordy McTaggart’s, Papa’s Deli/Papa’s Grill, Pentzer Printing, Puccini’s, and Yats-Columbus sponsor the annual event. For more information about Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show, call the Columbus Area Arts Council at 812-376-2539 or see the Déjà Vu Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DejaVuArtAndFineCraftShow.
Cost: Free
For more information contact:
Marilyn Brackney
(812)376-2539
[email protected]