“Better Every Year”: Artists Share Stories at Farmington’s Art on the Grand
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 17, 2022)
Farmington, MI – Thirteen years ago Stephen Kade started doing art fairs, selling paintings and other art with theme of nature, humor, outer space, and robots. Sometimes robots in nature. Sometimes robots in outer space. All with clear images and a tone of child-like happiness.
“I almost quit,” he told Oakland County Times at his booth at the Art on the Grand juried art fair in Downtown Farmington the weekend of June 4-5 He’d been asked about his advice for artists just starting out.
“Do what you want to do and people will come to you,” Kade said. “The first few years I was going to art fairs, and selling my work. And I started doing work I thought people would buy. I was making money, but I wasn’t happy. I almost quit. But then I started doing what I wanted. And people are interested in that. So be persistent in your vision. Whether it’s music or art or whatever, people want to see you create. People will come to you.”
Kade said that his work gets better every year. “I’m always trying to learn more, and do better,” he said. He also said it’s been fun watching the fair grow over the years. “It gets better every year.”
Neha Chheda, who does pottery and ceramics under the name “Samaaj,” found her passion in a high school art class that gave her the introduction. “I couldn’t stop thinking of it,” she said. Five years ago she started taking classes at Clay Works in Ann Arbor and now teaches ceramics at The Hawk community center in Farmington Hills. She teaches both children and adults. “I love teaching and seeing other people be as happy as I am.”
Chheda is excited to have recently purchased her first pottery wheel, and about her newest stage of ceramics adventure – doing art fairs. “This is my second art fair, and it is nice talking to people who are interested in my work,” she said.
Also enjoying the fair were metal smiths Sharon and Bryant Tubbs. Their corten and stainless steel sculpture “Sprout” was selected by Mayor Vicki Barnett for the Mayor’s Award in the program. The piece shares the optimism of the artists who enjoy traveling together and talking to people about their work.
“I started with a 1965 Mustang that I was fixing up. I learned how to weld and do metal work for that,” said Bryant. “I took a welding class. And when I had the car the way I wanted I started just making little things, like little flowers and welding stuff together. And it just grew from there.”
“We really enjoy meeting the people,” Sharon said. “We’ve met people from all over the country, other artists to talk to.”
While Art on the Grand featured seasoned professional artists from near and far, it also helped support local student artists. Kanau Sharma is in middle school, but he’s already producing quality artwork and learning about the business of being an artist. “I used to go to Art 101, and I learned a lot,” Sharma said. When asked what he likes best about art, he said “I like the feeling of finishing things. The end product is satisfying.”
With images of fast cars and cartoon characters, Sharma’s already done two Art on the Grand Events, previous to the pandemic. “I like interacting with everyone and having my art to show. It feels good,” Sharma said.
For13-year-old Peyton Douglas, Art on the Grand was a chance to spread love in the world through sun-catchers. The long strands of beads in multiple colors and patterns easily capture and color the light, creating beauty seemingly out of thin air. “I like all the care that goes into them,” Douglas said. Her grandmother came up with the idea. “We saw them at a store and she said we can make them.”
While making and selling the beaded decorations is fun, Douglas loves learning about all kinds of art. “My favorite art in school was a dot painting of jellyfish,” Douglas said. “It was a lot of work.”
Art on the Grand had over 60 featured artists, whose work can be found at https://www.artonthegrand.com/2022-artists. Among the artists were Laura B. Delind, Powers Pottery, Mc’s Pics, Mary Kandraciuk Fine Art, Glass Action!, Chaz Clark and more.
For more things to do, visit the Oakland County Times Event Page!
To submit event info email editor@oc115.com .
Thank you to Jim Shaffer & Associates Realtors for sponsoring this section!
