The Michigan Daily--Thursday, July 23, 1981-Page 3
Students in the Art Fair
Struggling to
make it as
an artist
By JENNIFER MILLER
Daily staff writer
The Ann Arbor Art Fair offers ex-
posure not only to established artists,
but also to University students.
"This is the first time I've exhibited
my work," Michael Fineman said.
Fineman, a junior in the University's
School of Natural Resources, makes
roll-top desks, cabinets, and writing
tables in walnut and various woods.
"I've been doing carpentry ever since I
can remember," he said. Fineman said
that he has also done detailed house in-
terior work and restoration.
"I HAD A HARD time trying to get
involved," in the. Art Fair, Fineman
said. Although an Art Fair booth is open
to any student-without a jury
process-through the Artists and Craf-
tsmen's Guild, there are not as many
students involved as there might be.
The main problem is thatmany studen-
ts aren't aware that it is easy for them
to obtain a space at the Fair.
"I know a lot of students who want to
show, but who can't because it's too late
or they still don't know about it,"
Fineman said.
FiTHE CARPENTER said he spent two
months "running- around, trying to
figure out how to get in" before he,
discovered the Guild's policy.
Guild Director Helen Welford agreed
that not enough students know about
the policy. "We want students to come
and see us. We bend over backwards to
help the student-it's terrific exposure
for them," she said. -
Another problem that keeps students
out of the Art Fair is the tremendousy
MICHAEL FINEMAN, a junior in the School of Natural Resources, sits at one of the roll-top 'desks he made and is
selling at the Art Fair.
Volume of work and the time involved from the University this past May, is an is now doing more sophisticated silver-
that is needed to exhibit, Welford said. example of how a student can benefit work with lapis, malachite, and opals.
Colleen Burhs, an Art School junior who from the Art Fair. "Most art fairs are The Fair, Keyes said, "gives the oppor-
is sharing Fineman's booth, agreed. juried so heavily there's no chance for a tunity to start somewhere and grow."
"It's a lot of work, and that's a thing student to get in," Keyes said. "That's For graduate student DerDerian, the
that holds them (students) back." the nice thing about this fair. I started Fair has provided a chance to reach out
BURNS, WHO is showing some of her out doing something simple, like to people with a message. "I want to
watercolors for the first time this stringing beads and making simple bring black art into the mainstream,"
summer, said she thought the Univer- metal pieces. she said.
sity's School of Art should tell students "I CRASHED the Fair for two years, "I paint with love and feeling," Der-
.about the opportunity to exhibit in the setting up 'illegally' on the Diag," she Derian said, "I try to communicate'a
Art Fair. said. After four more Art Fairs and the
Jeweller Anne Keyes', who graduated help of her partner Joe Cyberski, Keyes See STUDENTS, Page 9
'PURPLE-HAIRED FRIEND BOOSTS ART FAIR SALES:
Painting background aids potter
By PAM FICKINGER
Daily staff writer
Even though there may be more pot-
ters per square mile in Ann Arbor this
week than anywhere else on earth, Art
Fair potter Kathi LeSuer feels she has a
good a chance as any to meet the huge
customer demand.
Most of the items that LeSuer makes
are dinnerware; butter dishes,
casseroles, and cups. She also makes
one-of-a-kind things such as jars and
wall-hangings.E
IN ORDER to attract even more at-
tention to her booth, LeSuer has em-
ployed the services of a friend who
sports purple hair. She said her friend
helped out last year, and when people
stopped to look at her hair, they
lingered to check out the pottery.
LeSuer became a full-time potter
about ive years ago, after working as a
professor's assistant at 'Eastern
Michigan University (her alma mater),
and teaching at a boys' school for six
years.
Like many other artists and craf-
tsmen, LeSuer values the total freedom
and self-sufficiency that comes with
working the art fair circuit full-time.
LESUER HAS time off in January,
February, and early March to do other
work - including a paper route. In the
summer, though, she says the artist has ;~ T
"no life but her work." The Ann Arbor
Art Fair is LeSuer's most profitable
fair. This fair "doesn't compare with
anything you do anywhere else," she
said.
Most of LeSuer's work is done on a
potter's wheel, she said, She fires all
her pottery in a gas kiln which usually
heats up to nearly 2350 degrees,
LeSuer mentioned her "very under-
standing" neighbors who tolerate the Daily Photo by KIt
loud noise her kiln makes when firing
the pottery. ART FAIR POTTIER Katbi LeSue 4rks In her Ann Arhor studio.