Homewood fair draws art enthusiasts
By Susan DeMar Lafferty slafferty@southtownstar.com June 8, 2012 8:08PM
Glassblower Nick Galatte, of Monee, hand makes glass art and jewelry at his Fire Cut Glass booth during the Downtown Homewood Art and Garden Street Fair Friday, June 8, 2012. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 11, 2012 10:23AM
It was a day for lunching with friends, listening to music and enjoying fine art.
“It’s a good way to spend a Friday,” Denny Johnson, of Flossmoor, said, as he observed the crowd along Martin Street at the fifth annual Downtown Homewood Art and Garden Street Fair.
Johnson was “taking a break from garden work” to join his Tinley Park friends, Ed and Sue Moy for lunch at Grady’s and found a deal on some garden bulbs, too.
“It’s always nice to come here and look for different ideas,” Ed Moy said. “I like community markets. It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
The Friday and Saturday show attracted 45 vendors, a variety of musical talent and art activities for children and adults.
Items for sale included mosaic birdhouses, hand -knitted clothing, wine bottle candle holders, handmade jewelry and home decor.
On her first trip to the art fair, Tina Clegg, of Homewood, was eying a bird cage and a wreath to adorn a corner in her kitchen.
“There’s an exquisite variety of tastes at this fair, such a nice variety of fine art,” she said. She already had purchased salad tongs from Kenya and a couple of art kits to create her own little sculptures from colorful corrugated cardboard.
“My favorite places to find unique things are art fairs and garage sales,” Clegg said.
Among the one-of-a-kind offerings were glass-blown hummingbird feeders, which Sherleen Karchut, of Tinley Park, purchased from artist Nick Galatte of Fire Cut Glass in Monee.
“We were out for lunch and looking for things to do,” she said. “It’s a ladies day out.”
As Galatte demonstrated his craft, the self-taught artist attracted quite a crowd under his red umbrella.
The art fair was clearly not just for adults.
Nearby, Anna Barannikova and Kate Morrill-Ploum, of Homewood, were dressed and painted from head to toe in glittery gold, promoting TALK — Theater and Arts Leadership Kouncil for teens — and raising money for another art festival — just for teens.
Under a tent, young budding artists Kaiden and Madyson Stine were painting terra cotta birdbaths for their back yard.
“They are out of school and looking for something to do,” said their mother, Tabitha Stine.
