 JULY 16 • 2020 | 39

Joan Michlin’
s 
deco-inspired 
jewelry

Arts&Life

art

D

uring a summer deplet-
ed of outdoor art fairs, 
the juried Orchard 
Lake Fine Art Show in West 
Bloomfield is holding on and 
will feature an artist who grew 
up in Michigan — jewelry 
designer Joan Michlin. 
The fair’
s organizer, Patty 
Narozny, met with township 
officials to keep the event going 
and arrange for measures against 
COVID-19. The event will run 
Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26, 
along Powers and Daly roads.
“Normally, the Orchard Lake 
show takes a year to plan, but 
planning for this summer began 
in late May,
” said Narozny, who 
also arranges annual fairs in 
Florida. “It has been a challenge, 
but we’
ve counted on our experi-
ence, education and flexibility. 
“We will have about 100 art-
ists, down from 150. We respect 
the choices of popular artists 
who feel vulnerable and decided 
not to travel even though art-
ists have lost so much income 
because of event cancellations.
” 
Among the safeguards are 
greater distances between booths 
that will have extended open-air 
setups, hand sanitizer at every 
booth and handwashing stations. 
Narozny hopes everyone comes 
with their own face coverings 
but will have a limited number 

of disposable masks available.
Among the varied booths 
offering paintings, glass, clay and 
more, Michlin’
s will be display-
ing deco-inspired jewelry and 
art boxes with elements that can 
be worn. There will be about 400 
items, which Michlin made with 
her husband and fellow artist, 
Skip Ennis, in their Sarasota 
studio. 
“My work is primarily cast-
ing constructed with a lot of 
unusual stones I cut myself,
” 
said Michlin, who graduated 
from Harrison High School 
in Farmington Hills and was 
active at Congregation Shaarey 
Zedek in Southfield. “Some 
of my designs are centered 
around stones, and others are 
more about the sculpture. It just 
depends on my mood.
”
Michlin and Ennis have 
worked together since 1976, 
when they met at the Memphis 
College of Art. They had a New 
York gallery for almost 30 years 
and then a gallery in Sarasota 
for seven years. While she does 
the original designs, he helps 
with color choices for stones and 
fabrication. 
Ennis explained that there are 
seven fabricating steps, includ-
ing setting the stones, in making 
each piece of jewelry. They work 
on 50-100 new designs a year, 

and all are limited editions.
“We are excited that Patty has 
been working this out,
” Ennis 
said. “We’
ve never been able to 
do her Michigan show because 
it’
s right after we do the Ann 
Arbor show, and we don’
t have 
any jewelry left. We were sched-
uled for many shows this year, 
but so many are closing down.
”
Michlin began participating 
in the Ann Arbor fair when she 
was 16. 
“Michigan is my oldest fol-
lowing,
” said Michlin, who 
has designed yads for Temple 
Sinai in Sarasota. “I’
ve been 
making jewelry since I’
ve been 
12. I started at Camp Walden 
in Cheboygan, and I ended up 
teaching jewelry-making there.
”
This year’
s West Bloomfield 
event will have food trucks from 
Jackson’
s Five Star Catering, 
Cosmic Burrito and Shimmy 
Shack, surrounded by shaded 
seating. Music will be performed 
by One Love Reggae Band, 
Sheila Landis Jazz Duo and Dino 
Valle Trio & Hot Metal Groove. 
Raymond James Children’
s 
Art Activities will be part of the 
programming that includes a 
Youth Artist Competition spon-
sored by Bath Planet in addition 
to adult money awards.
Steven Kaplan, West 
Bloomfield Township supervi-

sor, has worked on the safety 
measures required at the fair.
“In light of the pandemic and 
many people having to remain at 
home while township residents 
are underemployed temporarily, 
this will give our residents and 
nearby residents outside of West 
Bloomfield an opportunity to 
engage in a fun-filled activity,
” 
Kaplan said. 
“I think most people are 
fastidious about maintaining 
health, and I’
ll be there with 
other board members to walk 
around and encourage social 
distancing. Everybody entering 
the art fair will be required to 
maintain face coverings. The 
food trucks will be moved 
toward the southeast part of the 
fair, where it’
s not as populated.
“We had to balance possible 
harm to visitors and vendors 
versus the need for people to 
maintain and continue with 
their lives. Studies show that the 
virus is not disseminated at the 
same levels when people are out-
doors versus indoors.
” 

The Orchard Lake Fine Art Show 
runs 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, July 
25, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, July 
26, at Powers & Daly roads in West 
Bloomfield. $5 admission for those 
14 and older to support the Institute 
for the Arts & Education. hotworks.
org. (248) 684-2613.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOAN MICHLIN

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Outdoor Art
Orchard Lake Fine Art Show to feature 
Jewish jewelry designer.

