The second annual Artisan Guilds of Bloomington Holiday Show will take place 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center.
The show unites three once separate groups: the Indiana Glass Guild, the Local Clay Potters’ Guild and the Bloomington Spinners & Weavers Guild, for a massive event that includes purchasable craft, demonstrations, music and the opportunity to speak with the artisans.
Karen Green Stone, president of Local Clay, said the success of last year’s event demonstrated how many people responded well to this collaborative event.
“People have been incredibly helpful since we started,” Stone said. “The people at the convention center said, ‘We’ve been trying to get you here for years!’ Last year, Downtown Bloomington awarded us the Shining Star Award for pulling off this incredible show.”
Stone said according to clicker data from the Local Clay section, last year’s event attracted nearly 3,000 customers and the group is excited to see just as much traction with this year’s event.
Some of the groups within the Artisan Guilds have changed during the last year. For example, Indiana Glass Guild expanded to welcome artisans from outside Bloomington, Stone said.
In 2013, Local Clay lost one of its members, Jim Kemp. This year, one of his pieces has been donated to the show in order to be auctioned off.
“There’s a Jim Kemp Memorial Fund that helps emerging artists, and one of the ways it’s being funded is this person is donating a gigantic plate of Jim’s that’s going to be auctioned off,” Stone said. “This is a piece that’s got to be three feet in diameter, and it will be set up in the show.”
Karin Lauderback, full show coordinator for the spinners and weavers, said music and food just add to the experience the holiday show provides.
“I love having the three shows under one roof and hope to find some free moments to visit the other two shows,” Lauderback said. “The music in the lobby will provide visitors a chance to relax and enjoy local performers. The Artisan Café will be open both days of the show, and I am hoping to try something from the menu.”
The event showcases the three guilds’ distinctive crafts while allowing personal connections with the people who make them, Lauderback said.
“People who attend this show will be able to see and purchase both functional and decorative art, talk with the artists and see the tools and techniques used in creating the work,” Lauderback said. “It also provides the community an opportunity to purchase quality handcrafted gifts and support the local artists.”
One of the veteran spinners and weavers, Robin Edmundson, said she joined the guild during her time in graduate school and immediately latched on to the group because of the connection to where her products began.
“It’s a back to the beginning thing — it’s nice to know where things come from and it’s nice to know how things are made,” Edmundson said. “All through history, we’ve worn clothes, but not all through history could we go to the store and buy them. Who makes them? Where does that yarn come from? Can I do it too?”
She said she takes pride in the fact that her products are the kind no machine and no other person can produce and seeing others do the same at shows like this make each experience a special one.
“It’s fabulous getting all these people together,” Edmundson said. “Fine craft shows in general are amazing places to see where people have gone over the year. The colors that people are doing, the thing that they’re experimenting with — it’s a wonderful way to see what’s out there and then be able to talk to them about that creative process.”
