You guys know I love art and for the love of art fair is got to be like my favorite art show that we have here in Michigan.

I have my friend Shireen with me.

Hello, it's always good to see you and always an exciting time as we head into this wonderful art show that you create so magnificently.

Well this year I am really excited.

It is our 12th annual year and we have some of your favorite artists returning.

Yeah, we have some of your favorite ones.

Okay.

And then we have a whole bunch of new artists that we've this year.

We've heard from Wisconsin and also more from Ohio.

Okay.

So we're still talking regional art.

Yeah.

Regional artists.

Okay.

And local artists as well.

Yeah.

And you have a lot of local artists too.

I know I've met a number of them personally and have become friends with some of them too.

And actually some of our local artists have been with us the longest, like David Mark, a Czech, has been with us for 12 years.

Oh my gosh.

And you know, when you are working on curating and figuring out who's going to be a part of the show, what goes into that?

It's a lot of driving to art fairs.

Okay, so there's like five art fairs that I go to and those like, those are really large art fairs.

They have some of the best artists there.

And so I'm walking.

I'm going to every single booth and chatting with them, and then they get an invite.

Yeah.

And if they get invited then they're invited to come to the show and I don't have to go through all that during.

But it is a great show because I get people from out of the blue, will send me an application and I'll need to jury them into the show.

Oh, understood.

Okay, so what are the different art forms that are usually, represented?

Well, we have sculptures, so that could be either ceramics or could be bronzes or could be glass.

Yeah.

And then we also have paintings.

So with 2D art it's all over the place.

Like everyone has a different style.

Someone might be a surrealist, another one might be more landscape, another one a portrait artist.

So it's a variety.

And then of course, wearable art, I guess.

And you know, Valentine's Day is like the following weekend, which is the art show, February 7th and eighth, seventh and eighth.

Okay.

So perfect.

So it's just before Valentine's Day.

Those gifts for your loved ones.

Someone special.

Yeah.

So we have the jewelry and then we also have wearable art.

Oh, as in like clothing as well.

I love that.

And one of the things that I love about the art show, too, is that you are usually have artists who are making and creating at the same time.

That right.

We do have a few artists that will do a little sampling and like, Laura Glass Willer, she's a sell artist.

I know that's one of your favorites.

We're looking at pieces.

I know you do.

So she'll, like, have a little salt thing out there.

She's just demonstrating.

That is just fascinating, too, especially for someone I know a lot of people bring their kids.

We bring our kids every year, too.

But, you know, continuing that art generation.

Oh, that is so that's one of my favorite things, is seeing young families bring in their little children.

And some of the artists, they'll get right down to their level and talk with them and let them touch the art.

Oh, cool.

And so it's a great experience for them.

It's it's not about face painting.

It's them being one on one with the artists.

Yeah, yeah.

And you also have performing arts happening in this.

So too.

Yeah.

We want to make it, you know like create that an ambiance.

And so we have, several artists.

We have Marco Villareal, who is a Spanish guitarist, and then we have, Jake Michael, which is a favorite around town and informal, which is on the cello.

He comes every year.

Yeah, yeah.

And then we also have, the San Ramos people love them.

Their band.

Oh, and there's one other, and his name is Annabelle Farkas.

Well, I can't pronounce his name, but he, plays, like, a little bit of a jazz guitar.

Okay.

Yeah.

So we have a little jazz artist coming, too.

I like that, really.

It is really.

Right.

Best thing when you are at the.

And now you guys have been doing this for 12 years, is it still going to be over at the Century Center?

Yeah, that's our home Southend's our home.

We love South Bend.

We have so many sponsors from South Bend.

Yes, that, you know, people have said, why don't you move it here and move it there like, no, I really depend on these sponsors to do what they do for us.

And they're amazing.

They are amazing.

Now, I know this is 12 years in now.

What's your future looking for this.

So, like, do you have a husband?

I always ask me that because the surgery center would love for me to move to a larger room.

I know, but but when do you have opportunity for those artist.

Right, right.

If I move to the other room, you lose the whole, like there's, the other room has concrete and we have carpet, we have chandeliers.

They don't have chandeliers.

You have the lighting.

Okay?

Can lose the intimacy, right?

You lose that intimacy.

And all of our artists say not.

We like that 50, you know, give or take.

Yeah, 50.

And I'd love to that the artists themselves, it's a wide range of price points too.

So anybody can find something that they can take home with them.

Right.

And you know they do that on purpose because we want to let who come through the door if they've never been to an art fair, to be able to take something home that's within the 60 to $100 range.

But then we have the people who are true collectors and they might spend, you know, maybe over $1,000 easily.

I will tell you, my kid is the one he spends the most with art because she's got so many pieces in her room, like, okay, I have to ask them, okay, who's her favorite?

Oh, it's the one that makes the jewelry that has, like, different kind of art within the jewelry.

Oh, I can't think of what her name is, but see that she's got.

Yes, she does the photography.

The photography with the jewelry.

Yes.

Carol Estes.

Yes.

Yes, I love it.

My daughter loves her.

So.

All right, we have some artists we can talk to.

Yes, we're going to go see Dick Lehmann in his studio.

Awesome.

All right, let's head.

All right.

Thanks.