World Class "Festival of Arts" September 16-18, in Bloomfield

By Raymond Rolak

For the “Festival of Arts” all manner of disciplines will be accepted, including textiles, paintings, sculpture, photography, glass and pottery.  Also included will be acrylics, jewelry, watercolors, fibers, graphics and surface art. 

The event was started 28 years ago and has been a staple on the world class art circuit.  Many exhibitors have used their “Festival of Arts” laurels to springboard to individual showcases.  Deborah Odette, formerly of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will supervise display and hanging.  The juried exhibition items will be for sale and the entire presentation area will be decorated as an art gallery.

The juror will be Wayne State Professor Urban Jupina who is an accomplished fiber artist and fine arts historian.  He received his Master of Fine Arts from the Cranbrook Academy of Art.  Jupina, who is this year’s president of the Michigan Surface Design Association recently presented in Europe at the International Triennial of Tapestry in Lodz, Poland.
 
“We will have a gala opening reception on Friday, September 16, at 7:00 pm. for the artists and presenters to mingle with the special guests,” said Henryka Olbrot.  The former Warsaw native has had an ambassadorial approach for educational outreach and wider genre inclusion.  Lakeland Society of Art officer Bill Williamson said advance tickets are available thru the website.

Olbrot is president of the Lakeland Society of Artists which supports the show.  She is an active art ambassador in Oakland County.  The Waterford, Michigan based art co-op will host the reception with music, wine and heavy hors d’oeuvres.  The Polish Mission of Orchard Lake is a co-host.

Special prizes will be an artist’s proof vase sculpted by local artist Patricia Auerbach and potter Robert Nixon has done a unique clay presentation dish to be raffled.

When the church built its worship space in 1963, it turned to the renowned Cranbrook Academy of Art for direction. The resulting nave is embraced by warm wood tones and artistic surface statements.  The church’s striking stained glass panels were created by Margaret Cavanaugh in 1982.

The last call for artists will run until August 31st.
The church is located at 21220 West 14-Mile Road, Bloomfield Township, MI  48301.
For more information call Diane Wittlinger at 248-642-5577. 
www.nativityartsfestival.org
www.urbanjupena.com