The Old Town Saginaw Art Fair • The Oldest Art Fair in Michigan Returns June 6-7th

After a successful and strongly supported return to the streets of Old Town Saginaw several years ago, the oldest summer art fair in the State of Michigan returns once again as the  ‘Original’ Old Town Saginaw Art Fair prepares to occupy the corner of 100 S. Hamilton & Court Streets with fifty featured artists on the dates of  Friday & Saturday, June 6^th & 7^th.

Featuring the talented work of artists representing the top of their field in a broad array of media, the legacy of the Old Town Art Fair is legendary and dates back to 1965 when it was started by a core committee consisting of respected local artist Samuel S. Carter, who contributed illustrations to the definitive history book about the Saginaw Valley known as Indians, Jacks & Pines, along with Old Town  business owners that included  Melodye & Dennis Adomaitis and Tom & Mary Ellen Whitney, who helped foster and expand both the size and scope of the Art Fair back in the 1970s through the late 1990s.

Until its untimely demise in the 2000s, it stood as the longest running art fair in the State of Michigan, pre-dating even the Ann Arbor Art Fair; and at its zenith in 1995, which marked the 30th anniversary of this amazing showcase, it covered five blocks and featured over 100 exhibitors displaying and selling their original high-quality artwork.

According to Art Fair coordinator Pam Higgs Barrera, the Old Town Saginaw Business Association is well on its way to echoing that legacy of featuring a wide variety of creations from a divergent range of artists that will include painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, glass, and jewelry, to name but a few.   “We will also be featuring a new quilter into the mix this year,” she explains, “along with a new Beach Glass artist named Kelsey Yech and beautiful pen, ink and watercolor illustrations by artist Zacharias Parks.” 

This year the Art Fair times  will run from 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM on Friday June 6^th, and 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM on Saturday June 7^th. Located on the historic Old Town Saginaw riverfront and surrounded by beautifully restored historic architecture, popular local businesses, and colorful murals, unlike many similar events, this is a Juried Fine Arts Fair that gives established and aspiring artists the opportunity to showcase their talented work, bringing culture, life, and education to the streets of Old Town Saginaw.

The Juried Art Awards prizes consist of the following: Best of Show $800; 2^nd Place $500; Third Place $300; along with four Honorable Mentions at $200 each. Additionally, a Peoples’ Choice Award from the Samuel S. Carter Family & Shaper’s Salon will also be presented at the conclusion of the Art Fair on Saturday.

There will also be a wholesome litany of food vendors located over by the Court Street Bridge, with Paul Barrera from Jake’s serving hot dogs, TIo Lio’s Take Out, the Cream & Sugar Ice cream store will be open, a lemonade lady will be on site, popcorn, a pretzel person, elephant ears, funnel cakes, and possibly a hamburger truck. “We didn’t want to get too fancy with the food vendors, as we don’t wish to compete with all the restaurants located in the Old Town area,” notes Pam.

Community organizations such as Major Chords for Minors  will also be present, along with tons of fun activities for children. “We will be having a Kids Tent featuring artist Mary Fives along with face painting, and Home Depot will be returning once again with different building activities for children. The kids have a choice of working on four different building projects, which is a wonderful way to get them engaged,” notes Pam.

“This year we also have a new art fair logo that was designed by Mikey Sian, who won the ‘Best in Show’ award at last year’s art fair,” relates Pam. “He’s a college student and last year was his first art show.”

“Each year enthusiasm for the Old Town Art Fair seem to consistently be growing,” concludes Pam, “and all the artists are impressed with our organization. One artist said she sold more artwork than she’s ever done previously at an Art Fair, and all the public feedback was fantastic. Plus, we conducted an artist survey and all the responses from the artists indicated that the Art Fair ran smoothly, everyone was friendly, and they loved the way the committee took care of their booths, so all of this is very encouraging.”

People are encouraged to visit originaloldtownsaginawartfair.com for updates on events and times and also look for signage in the Old Town area with smart codes for additional events, times, and information during the Art Fair.

A complete artist roster and schedule  is listed below:

Friday, June 6th
10:30-3:00  Art Activities
3:00-5:00     Home Depot Crafts
5:00-6:00    Father’s Day Card

Saturday, June7th
10:30-11:30 Art Activities
11:30-4:00  Face Painting
TBT Home Depot Crafts
1:00-3:00 Major Chords for Minors

2D Art (Painting, Drawing, Printmaking & Collage)

Connie Jane & Angela Radlinski • Dan Swaffer • Andrea Paschall (Dr. Drea’s Creations) • Kayla Peake Trautner (KP Originals) • Parker Rosebrugh • Regina Dunn • Rhonda Olson • Linda Chamberlain (Simple Works) • Luana LeVasseur • Kat Zin • Rochelle Dula (caricatures) • Susan Ward • Tricia Jordan (2 Dogs Studio) • Veronica Lazorchak & Lorrie Wiechmann  • Zacharias Parks

3D/Sculpture (Wood, Metal & Stone)

Gary Baase • Alan Tobias

Photography & Digital Art

Karen Brooks (Kabscapes) • Nevaeh Powell • Ceramics/Pottery • Diedre Miller • Elizabeth Makinen (Pottery Designs by Ellie) • Emily Davis • Lantern Quest (Jack Short) • Robert Rokita ( Dreamscape Clay Studio)

Beach Glass • Kelsey Yech

Jewelry

Antoni Kozlowski • Avery Fowler (Avery Sage Collections) • Deborah Irvine • Ellen Robinson • Linda Chamberlain (Simple Works) • Paul Baker • Wolf Runner (Silversmith)

Fiber/Textile

Kaitlyn Coulter • Shirleigh Vinson (Shirleigh’s Marbled Art) • Susie Greenfelder (Third Life Creations)

Aubrie Worth (Avie Moon Ceramics)

Altered Art/Crafts

Arvids Laura Creations • Christine Brennan • Concrete Plus & Accessories • Josh Sullivan • Kendra Kemph • Nicole Anton • Shavon Al-Haqq • Sue Wiles ( A Simple Time)