Cherrywood Art Fair

December 2009: Austin Woman

Great article about Little Artist/Big Artist featuring Kathleen McTee and Holli Brown

December 13, 2008:  Austin American Statesman–Jeanne Claire van Ryzin

In the holiday crunch of local art shopping shows, one stands out:  The Cherrywood Art Fair.

Maybe it’s the highly selective jury process that results in an exlectic, talented array of about 50 local artists and craftspeople.  You can shop for handmade letterpress cards, clothing made from recycled fabric, small whimsical multimedia ceramic sculptures than can live on your desktop, fused glass jewelry, terra-cotta plants and artisan soap – and all of it is far and away from the ordinary.

Maybe it’s the family friendly atmosphere and intimate marketplace setting at Maplewood Elementary School.  No driving from studio to studio – everything is joyously and conveninetly tucked into the school’s gymnasium, cafeteria and hallways.

Maybe it’s the delicious – and affordable food – by Traveling Bistro that includes jerk chicken tacos and a kid’s menu with mini pizzas.

Then again, maybe it’s the music: Every hour on the hour someone new takes the stage including Colin Gilmore, the Boxcar Preachers, the Soulphonics and Joe McDermott.

All proceeds from booth fees and the silent auction (admission to the fair is free) support neighborhood beautification projects in East Austin and art education programs at Maplewood Elementary School – as if you needed one more reason to shop the Cherrywood Art Fair.    Back to top

December 4, 2008: Austin American Stateman–Holiday Entertainment Guide

Cherrywood Art Fair. This totally groovy, totally cool holiday art event gathers some of the best local artisans, jewelry- and handbag-makers, ceramists and artists. All-day live music, children’s activities, good and nonstop fun. Free. Back to top

December 6, 2007: Austin American Statesman–Marques G. Harper

Keep Austin Bazaar: Experience the true vibe of the city while you shop for gifts at Armadillo, Blue Genie and Cherrywood events

Looking for a handmade leather purse? Or a photograph of the Austin Skyline? Or how about a date? This is your season.

Now through Christmas Eve, Austin is filled with a menagerie of holiday bazaars and arts and craft shows featuring established and fresh talent.

We caught up with organizers for three of Austin’s biggest and best-known upcoming holiday shopping events–the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, the Blue Genie Christmas Bazaar and the Cherrywood Art Fair–to get the lowdown on what’s new and what shoppers can expect (and whom they might meet in the crowd).

Cherrywood Art Fair, 10 am to 6 pm Saturday, noon to 6 pm Sunday. Maplewood Elementary School, 3808 Maplewood Ave. Free.

The back story: Kathleen McTee, who lives in the Cherrywood section of East Austin, originally posted her idea to celebrate local art on an electronic mailing list. The event grew from there, becoming a collaborative effort in the community. The fair, now in its sixth year, helped start CHULA, an East Austin group celebrating and preserving the arts. This non-nonprofit juried show attracts more than 3,000 people, including young families, artists and Austin hipsters of all ages.

“I knew that we had a lot of visual artists here in our neighborhood and it seemed like a cool way to celebrate that fact,” says McTee, 42, a textile artist who has lived in Austin since 1982. “It’s showing off the best of Austin. It’s down home yet really quality.”

What to expect: A hip, family-friendly holiday bazaar. You’ll get more than 60 local artists offering jewelry, handbags, ceramics, clothing and other goods ranging from $5 to $2,000; children’s activities; music acts coordinated by Pop Culture include Beaver Nelson, Michael Fracasso, Box Car Preachers, Collin Gilmore, Coffee Sergeants and Troy Campbell.

Bonus material: The fair raises money for Maplewood Elementary School’s art programs. “It’s a great place to come and spend the day instead of going to the mall and seeing the same old thing,” McTee says. “You’re helping local artists and you’re helping local kids become artists potentially. There are a lot of great holiday shows in Austin. We are a little different because we are a benefit.”

Recharge your batteries: On Saturday there will be pizzas from East Side Pies; hot lunch from the Casserole Queens on Sunday, and on both days there will be an assortment of pies from Pie Fixes Everything as well as fresh salads and nonalcoholic beverages.

Finding a holiday date in the crowd: “It’s a good bar-scene-free environment to check people out in the daylight,” McTee says. And of course, perfect for holiday shopping.

What to bring: Cash, checks and credit cards and a desire to have fun. Back to top

November 22, 2007: Austin American Stateman XLEnt

Cherrywood Art Fair, The Goods: This annual holiday art fair gathers some of the best local artisans, jewelry- and handbag-makers, ceramists and artists. All-day live music, children’s activities and food. Back to top

November 24, 2005: Austin American Statesman–Jeanne Claire van Ryzin

Melissa Gable didn’t quite know what to make of the two faded fake flower corsages she found at a flea market years ago.  Their sparkle and glamour certainly spoke of the days when every woman adorned herself at holiday time.

But the corsages intrigued. They beckoned. And Gable listened.

An art school graduate who runs a craft and design business, One Creative Girl (www.onecreativegirl.com), Gable now collects hordes of antique flowers, ribbons, charms and other small objects of beauty that she then artfully arranges into spirited sprays that can be pinned to a coat, scarf, hat or sweater. Some sport tiny red elephants; others vibrate with vintage foil leaves. All, Gable says, suggest myriad stories about their origins.

Gable will be selling her corsages, along with notecards she’s designed based on collages of fabric from the 1940s and 1950s, at the Cherrywood Art Fair. The exposition started four years ago as a modest little afternoon affair, the off-hand thought of Maplewood mom and textile artist Kathleen McTee. Wouldn’t it be great to sell stuff and raise money for the school’s art program, she thought? Now the popular two-day event bursts with the wares of more than 40 artists (including McTee) along with live music and food. Proceeds now go to the Cherrywood Urban Landscape and Arts League. Back to top

November 25, 2004: Austin American Statesman XLEnt

Cherrywood Art Fair. The Goods: A fundraiser for Maplewood Elementary School’s art programs, this now third annual holiday art fair gathers some of the best local artisans, jewelry- and handbag-makers, ceramists and aritsts. All-day live music, children’s activities and food. Back to top

November 21, 2003: Austin Chronicle–Calendar

Art Today for Artists of Tomorrow brings the collected works of more than 40 local artists for sale to benefit art education at Maplewood Elementary School. Recent AISD budget cuts have hit the art programs; the art show and silent auction will help fill some funding holes. Activities include print portraits, leaf rubbings, and the day-long gradual construction of a table-top clay neighborhood. Back to top