“The art fair is going very well this year,” Steve Twait, one of the owners of Forestedge Winery, said Sunday. He estimated that 1,400 people attended the art fair at the winery between Akeley and Laporte on Saturday, and he expects another 1,000 people to attend on Sunday.
“The weather is beautiful,” Twait said. “Last year it was very hot; this year it’s much more pleasant. We have a good turnout and people are having a lot of fun.”
When asked what makes the winery’s annual art fair so successful, Twait said, “I think there’s a lot of value in having the artists here. We’re not a craft fair. There are real artists here and people like to come here and see the high-quality art that the different artists can produce.”
“If we bring them all together, a lot of people will come, not just here, but to the area. I know a lot of people in the area like that because it brings a lot of people to the area.”
1/22: Will Klaus of Laporte will be offering his “antler creations” during the art fair on Sunday. There are “many different uses for antlers,” he said – including cribbage boards, morel carvings, paperweights, jewelry stands, candle holders and jewelry.
Robin Fish / Company
2/22: Mirrors and old wood, painted by Sandra Buettner, attract interested glances during the art fair on Sunday. “Seasons are my strength,” said Buettner.
Robin Fish / Company
3/22: Robert Hale of North Branch, Minnesota, entertains winery guests on Sunday with a one-man musical performance.
Robin Fish / Company
4/22: Minneapolis charcoal artist PJ Mack discusses his artwork with visitors to the winery during the art fair on Sunday.
Robin Fish / Company
5/22: Guests at the Forestedge Art Fair browse “Scarves with Heart” by Nancy Stevens Randall of Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
Robin Fish / Company
6/22: Melinda and Brian Wolff of White Bear Lake are selling reclaimed wood jewelry that Melinda has made from leftover woodwork from Brian. The couple has been attending the Forestedge Art Fair for eight years. “I love it,” Melinda said. “It’s one of my favorite art fairs of the year. The weather has been fabulous. Lots of people come.”
Robin Fish / Company
7/22: Visitors admire watercolors by Lyn Jutila of Cloquet during the art fair on Sunday.
Robin Fish / Company
8/22: A group of Long Prairie winery visitors – Loren Freie, Jan and Barb Bense, and Marilyn Freie – take a lunch break among the food trucks and booths at the art fair on Sunday.
Robin Fish / Company
9/22: Courtney and Aryn Kern (left) of Longshadow Woodworks in Little Falls display their wares, including charcuterie boards, bread boards and other household items made from reclaimed wood.
Robin Fish / Company
10/22: Art fair guests pause during the art exhibition to listen to music by Robert Hale of North Branch, Minnesota.
Robin Fish / Company
11/22: Ken and Mary Spurlin of Nevis show Ken’s wooden puzzle boxes and cribbage boards to some art fair guests on Sunday. “It’s pretty obvious that I like doing this,” Ken said of wood carving. “More than that, it’s a way to keep me away from the TV in the winter.”
Robin Fish / Company
12/22: Kari Townsdin of Walker mingles with art fair visitors interested in her acrylic paintings. Townsdin, an art teacher at Laporte School, says, “I’ve been painting for a long time, but I only started attending art fairs about three years ago.”
Robin Fish / Company
13/22: Jon Offutt of the House of Mulciber Glass Studio explains his artistic process to a group of visitors during the art fair on Sunday. “All of this glass was made in the studio behind my house in Fargo,” he said. “It all starts as molten, clear glass in a kiln. I collect it on a tube and add the colors as I make the shapes. So the patterns I create, the colors I use, make it more my work.”
Robin Fish / Company
14/22: Park Rapids-based nature artist Jeff Renner (left) chats animatedly with guests viewing his acrylic paintings. “It was a great show,” Renner said.
Robin Fish / Company
15/22: Chaska-based mixed media artist Jean Haefele exhibited prints and greeting cards of her unusual and original paintings.
Robin Fish / Company
16/22: Jim and Paula Lundahl of Iowa City, Iowa – also summer residents of Nevis – enjoy the treats in the food court during the art fair on Sunday. In addition to ice cream, the winery also featured booths and food trucks with pizza, barbecue and more.
Robin Fish / Company
17/22: During the art fair on Sunday, guests can browse the fine art photography and mandalas of Bemidji-based Carol Hoyem.
Robin Fish / Company
18/22: Carey Heartbone of Bemidji, whose hat is a work of art in itself, and Becky Schueller of Nary look at artwork by Bill Sumner with Bear Paw Paperworks & Fiber of Princeton, Minnesota.
Robin Fish / Company
19/22: Barbara Hale of North Branchy talks with ceramic artist Jennifer Levandowski of Dassel and her daughter Sofia, 11, about art jewelry.
Robin Fish / Company
20/22: During the art fair on Sunday, guests can admire leather works by St. Cloud artist Ann Ringness.
Robin Fish / Company
21/22: Annette Mattingly of Ely sells a piece of her pressed flower art during the art fair at Forestedge Winery on Sunday.
Robin Fish / Company
22/22: During the Forestedge Art Fair on Sunday, guests admire photographic prints on paper, canvas and metal by Andy Hall of Climax, Minnesota.
Robin Fish / Company
Twait said he has seen the event draw people from across the state to the area. “It’s interesting to walk through the parking lot and see license plates from all over the United States,” he added.
“This year we are donating a portion of the proceeds from the wine sales to the Akeley Regional Emergency Shelter,” said Twait. “This is the first time we’ve done this and we’re excited about it and hope to give them a nice, generous donation at the end.”
Many of the artists present have already been to the fair several times in recent years.
“I’ve always enjoyed the show,” said fine art photographer Andy Hall of Climax, Minnesota. “This is my third year doing it, and all three years have been very good for me.”
Melinda Wolff of White Bear Lake, who makes reclaimed wood jewelry from scraps in her husband Brian’s workshop, has been displaying her wares at the winery for eight years.
And then there’s Princeton’s Bill Sumner, the creative force behind Bear Paw Paperworks & Fiber. He’s been attending the Forestedge art fair since about 1968.
“It’s one of my favorite places,” Sumner said. “It’s a beautiful environment. I love the artists. We’ve known each other for 30 years. It’s kind of like a community. A good time.”
