Ready... set... go!

AREtsy artists seem to be everywhere this fall. As I've said before, we're staring straight at craft show season here in Arkansas and we've geared up, signed up, and stocked up on goodies to show off at a variety of fairs.

If you are like me and love to do your Christmas shopping at a craft fair, or if you are also like me and love the tasty goodies at the fairs (as seen above), you can find us at the following events (event listed first and AREtsy members listed below each show)

Van Buren Fall Festival in Van Buren - October 11 - 12
Morning Star Studio

Bella Vista Arts and Crafts Festival in Bella Vista - October 16 - 18
Punkinhead
IdyllHands
Wooly Hands

Ozark Regional Arts and Crafts Show in Springdale and Rogers - October 17 - 18
My Curly Red
2BlondeBoys

Dazzle Daze in Conway - November 20 - 22
ChrisMassingill

Holiday Extravaganza in Bella Vista - November 22
MyCurlyRed
IdyllHands and WoolyHands
Punkinhead
AshleyArsenic
TutuCuteandMore
ForeverAndADay
TheWishingWell
SpiritBearBeads

Arkansas Craft Guild's Christmas Showcase in Little Rock - November 30 - December 2
ChrisMassingill



If you are a member of AREtsy and are participating in a craft fair/show this fall, please email knittinghands@yahoo.com and let me know. I'll add you to this list.

Puppet Workshop

Just a quick update about an event coming up this weekend:

“Arkansas Community Arts Co-op to Host Giant Puppet Workshop”

The Arkansas Community Arts Cooperative, a local non-profit organization that promotes art and music to youth in central Arkansas , will be hosting a giant puppet building workshop at their art and resource space located at 1419 South Main Street in downtown Little Rock . The event, which will take place on Saturday, September 13, Sunday, September 14, and Saturday, September 20, will feature long-time visual artist and puppeteer, JoAnn Kaminsky, from Fayetteville , Arkansas .

Kaminsky will be teaching Little Rock youth how to build a variety of giant parade puppets as seen in New Orleans Mardi Gras festivals. The event is open to Little Rock youth who are in the 5th through 8th grades. There is a $ 5.00 fee to cover the cost of lunch. During the workshop the students will be assembling five giant puppets to be featured in the SoMa sponsored 2009 Little Rock Mardi Gras Parade.

JoAnn Kaminsky is an Arkansas native who enjoys working with many facets of the community using art. She has worked as an artist in education, with elementary students and high school students, and as an art therapist. She has her own studio, the Art Experience, in Fayetteville , Arkansas . Her community art making interests has led her to create murals and puppet productions in a variety of settings. Through the Partners of the Americas she has traveled to Bolivia , South America to create puppets, large and small and also murals with youth of all ages.

You can see Kaminsky’s work in the streets of Fayetteville on New Years Eve at the First Night Fayetteville’s puppet parade which she coordinates.

For more information see http://www.acacarkansas.org.

For more information about JoAnn Kaminsky - visit her website here: www.JoAnnKaminsky.com

2nd Annual Pinnacle Hills Promenade Art Festival

If you find yourselves up in Northwest Arkansas this weekend, be sure to swing by the Pinnacle Hills Promenade for the 2nd Annual Pinnacle Hills Promenade Art Festival. The schedule is as follows:
Friday, 9/5 - 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday, 9/6 - 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday, 9/7 - 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

I hear that Chris Massingill will be up there and after seeing her items in person this past weekend at The Clothesline Fair, I can say that you do not want to miss out on her stuff. It's great!