'Like Christmas every time we open the kiln': Geneva Arts Fair creators share what makes their work unique
The Geneva Arts Fair will mark its 20th year this weekend, featuring more than 80 artists whose work encompasses mixed media, glass, ceramic, wood, painting, printing, fiber, jewelry and photography.
Third Street will be closed to traffic during the show, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Glass fusion artist Lisa Cote, of Newborn, Georgia, said this is her fourth or fifth time coming to Geneva for the show.
"I've lost count," Cote said. "It's a really good area, a really nice show with good quality work. And it is just always real pleasant to do. The patrons are always very receptive."
Cote creates her fused glass pieces by cutting and building the design inside the kiln, then firing it to melt it all together.
"There are multiple firings ... building layers of colors, textures and contours in the glass," Cote said. "I work large, so I have very large kilns to make very large wall-mountable sculptures."
Ceramic artist partners Glenn Woods and Keith Herbrand of Palm Harbor, Florida, collaborate to create both functional and nonfunctional decorative pieces.
Woods and Herbrand have also been returning artists for the Geneva Arts Fair.
"What sets our work apart from other ceramic work is that we specialize in a glaze called crystalline glaze," Woods said. "It's the perfect blend of science and art. And a lot of science is in not only the glaze formulation, but also in the firing process that encourages crystalline growth in the glaze layer."
Textures and shapes form in the glaze and then grow in the glaze during a controlled cooling cycle.
"It's kind of like painting in the dark. We're encouraging the crystals to grow a certain type and texture, but we do not see it until we take it out," Woods said. "It's like Christmas every time we open up the kiln. Is it a shiny new bike or socks and underwear."
Geneva Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the Arts Fair, has a full list of artists and where on Third Street they will be located at www.genevachamber.com.
"Last year, the Geneva Arts Fair returned after a brief hiatus," chamber spokeswoman Laura Rush stated in a news release. "We are thrilled that many of these artists and more are back for the Geneva Arts Fair 20th year."
Children will be welcome to participate in creative projects from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days at the corner of Franklin and Third streets.