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.