The Michigan Daily-Saturday, July 24, 1982-Page 3
'82 art fair
business good
despite economy
By SCOTT STUCKAL
Although the final results are not yet
in, the state's gloomy economy does not
seem to have dampened the financial
success of this year's art fair.
Artiata "who have heen in the aame
spot with a regular clientele have been
breaking sales records," said Rita Bar-
tolo, associate director of the Univer-
sity Artists and Craftsmen Guild.
STRANGELY enough, the recession
even seems to have helped out some ar-
tiata.
"When the economy gets worse, pot-
tery sales get better," said Detroit pot-
ter William Lawson, who has exhibited
in the fair for the past six years.
Lawson explained that people who
can't afford to go on a vacation often
spend their extra dollars at the fair.
PEOPLE ARE willing to spend $50 on
something for the house, because they
aren't spending $700 for a vacation," he
aaid.°
Some exhibitors, however, have had
a more difficult time turning a profit.
Liz Firtzharris, an Ypsilanti batik
painter who has been in the fair for
eight years, said, "I sold two paintings
Wednesday, and yesterday I didn't sell
a thing."
SHARON HUBBARD, who sculpts
porcelain ceramics, said her sales have
been "just a bit up" from last year.
Regular customers are the key to
succeeding at the fair, according to
Hubbard, who keeps a mailing list of
pat purchaaera.
For leaa established artists, this year
has been something of a struggle.
Alexandra Kargilis, a junior in the
University's film and video program,
said of her watercolor sales that she
"expected to sell out the first day, and
that didn't happen."
"THE NATURAL pattern is people
trudge in and trudge out," she said, ad-
ding, however, that she is not
discouraged and will be returning next
year.
Out-of-towners drawn to the fair have
meant plenty of occupied rooms for
local hotels this week. "We're doing
See POTTER, Page 4
Daily Photo by ELIZABETH SCOTT
Crowd reflection
A member of I-tal, a reggae group appearing in this year's art fair, captured
the frenzied crowds in his sunglasses.
Dulcimer: easier to play than make
By JERRY ALIOTTA
Craftsmen at this year's art fair are
attempting to revive a musical in-
strument that is hundreds of years old.
and easier to play than the harmonica.
The instrument, featured at two fair
booths, is the dulcimer - a wooden,
stringed musicmaker which originated
in the Appalachian mountains.
DULCIMERS are becoming more
popular because they are easy to play,
said Peter Cooney, a University
graduate who has been exhibiting his
hand-crafted instruments for the past
five years.
"You play only one key at a time and
every note is a good one, like a har-
monica," Cooney explained.
Although the dulcimer resembles a
guitar, its numbered frets make it
much simpler to master.
"THE BIGGEST customer is one who
has never played an instrument before
and finally finds one they think they can
handle," said Deedee Wilson, another
dulcimer maker in this year's fair.
Wilson, who attended Eastern
Michigan University, and her husband
pair up to make the instruments. She
carves elaborate designs onto the
dulcimers, while her husband construc-
ts the frame.
"He makes them sound good, and I
make them look good," she added.
THE CRAFT is a permanent career
for the Wilsons, but Cooney is trying to
earn enough money from selling
dulcimers to go to medical school. He
currently is attending Indiana Unvier-
sity.
"I've been trying to get ready for this
fair, working 80 hours a week for the
last two weeks, plus I've been going to
school," Cooney said. ''My body is get-
Daily Photo by ELIZABETH SCOTT
ARTIST PETER COONEY handcrafts dulcimers to finance his way through medical school.
ting sick of coffee." Wilson became interested in During the fair, however, Cooney fin-
Being both a student and a fair dulcimers after relatives made a trip to ds no need to travel outside Ann Arbor
exhibitor at the same time is difficult to the Smokey Mountains. "They brought to meet people from across the country.
handle, he said, admitting he's been us back a record of a dulcimer recor- "This show gets. people from a huge
forced to cut classes. "I had a midterm ding and we fell in love with it," she geographical area without me having to
in chemistry this week, but fortunately said. go to a lot of places," Cooney said,
the prof allowed me to take it early." The Wilsons, exhibit at more than 30 citing customers from Chicago and
COONEY HAS built everything from fairs throughout the state, while Cooney Milwaukee.
pipe organs to banjos and wooden participates in five. "I've only sold to one person from
flutes. The dulcimer, however, is the "One fringe benefit of this job is Ann Arbor," he added.
only instrument he says ne piays'wen. travelling," Cooney said.