Start your holiday season with a visit to the 2014 ARTISANS FESTIVAL – FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28 & 29 at the historic Miners Foundry Cultural Center.  This holiday tradition is one of the longest running festivals in Nevada County and is known for showcasing the exceptional work of regional artisans.  This year’s festival takes the term “Art Party” to another level with dozens of new artists, installation art displays, performance art, live music, children’s holiday art activities, and a rustic, bohemian Acoustic Café and Wine Bar.  Tickets $3, $5 Weekend Pass, Children 15 and under free.  Daily hours are 10am-5pm.

PHOTO GALLERY OF 2014 ARTISANS

“It is a new year for the Artisans Festival and it’s going to be a fun, exciting time,” explains the show’s producer Laura Gerhart.

Local musicians scheduled to perform include Lisa Stine on harp, Heather MacAdam on guitar with Phyllis Grant on flute; and Lorraine Gervais accompanied by Jacob Aginsky doing 20s and 30s Jazz tunes at the Acoustic Café and Wine Bar.

“Our vision for the Artisans Cafe is that it will be an artistic ephemeral space that will exist only for the duration of the event.   It will be an interactive mirage,” says artist, designer and teacher Faye Schoolcraft.  “Inside the installation, there will be tables for dining, live acoustic music, artwork, a bar, and areas for people to participate by adding their own creative expression.”  Schoolcraft is the magic behind the festival’s Acoustic Café and Wine Bar set, as well as an installation artist showing her frisky fiber figurine sculptures.  Schoolcraft who currently resides in Nevada City and teaches at Sierra College has exhibited nationally including New York City, Los Angeles, and at Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert, NV.

Tahiti Pehrson

The Festival artists have been juried by a distinguished group of local artisans who looked for the highest quality of wares and craftsmanship.   Gerhart and this year’s jury members have selected several new artisans to participate in the show.  In fact, nearly half of the artists are new to the festival this year with a third of them coming from out of the area.

Some of the new artists include:

Tahiti Pehrson, is based in Nevada County with long ties to the Bay Area.  Pehrson has been working in paper for nearly fifteen years.  Recent works explores the fragility and interconnectedness expressed by physical structures. Large scale installations of geometrical hand cut paper are layered into three-dimensional structures.  His work has shown internationally including London, Cape Town, and San Francisco.

David Wong

David Wong, the only nature photographer in the show, began showing his work only 8 short years ago after a prior lifetime career in film production.  He was inspired by his teacher, Ted Orland, one of Ansel Adams’ assistants, who felt he had a unique eye for light, subject and composition.  David’s soft spoken manner is evident in his photos, each of which offers a calm, peaceful reflection of nature’s beauty.

Kelly Bechtold, owner of Girl on a Motorcycle luxe leather accessories out of Berkeley, CA, founded her company in 2007 and has been busy designing and selling to a loyal and growing audience ever since.  Her bags and accessories are timelessly designed, made by hand and built to endure.  No machines, no factories-just Kelly, a workbench, some hand tools and a good record playing on the turntable.  Her materials are sourced of the finest produces American deer, buffalo and cattle hides and feature high quality fixtures and adornments.

Myah Sarles, BFA, a traveler, snowboarder and fine artist joins the festival from Marin County where she creates highly textured, energetic, adventurous, colorful, joyous, imaginative and intuitive works of 2D art.  Fortunate to have traveled the globe extensively, Myah draws inspiration from the textures, patterns and colors naturally present on Earth and uses this to fuel the fire for her art.

Jude Bischoff

Returning artists include Liz Collins, LeeAnn Brook, Jude Bischoff, Kathryn Wronski, Karen and Jack West, Sweetland Pottery, Eileen Blodgett, Ride ’em George,Don Augstein, Lynn Wood, Richard Davis, Martha Jones, Elany Prusa, Kathryn Finn, Seth Simpson, Phyllis Williams and Donald Dalke.

“I have always seen the Artisans Festival as a local fall gem of an event.   It’s a great time to hang out with friends or bring visiting family,” says Gerhart.  “Plus, with its small town appeal and classy setting, it is the perfect addition or antidote, depending on your point of view, to ‘Black Friday’.”

Artisans Festival is an annual fundraiser for the Foundry, one of Nevada County’s most beautiful historic landmarks. Artisans Festival is the kickoff of to the holiday season for the Foundry with its beautiful halls decorated with twinkling lights, festive garland and wreaths.