More than 70 artisan showing one-of-a-kind ceramics, wearable art and other fine crafts will be featured at the Bruce Museum’s 32nd Annual Outdoor Crafts Festival on Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine. Juried exhibitors, many new to the show, will share their unique talents and crafts in wood, wearable and decorative fiber, metalwork, leather, paper arts, glass, ceramics, jewelry and more at this nationally recognized event held on the grounds of the Bruce Museum.
“Over its 32-year history, the Bruce Museum Outdoor Crafts Festival has been renowned for the quality of the artists showing. Throughout the year, we actively scout talent nationwide to bring the very best to our museum,” says Sue Brown Gordon, Festival organizer. “As a result, we are honored to have many of the top award-winning national craft artists with us. We feel that the opportunity of meeting the actual maker enhances the experience of collecting art.“
Special this year will be guest ceramic artists from The Clay Arts Center under the curation of Leigh Taylor Mickelson, ceramic artist and executive director at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, N.Y. Another highlight of the Festival will be ongoing textile painting and marbleizing demonstrations by artists Rich Borden and Patricia Disantis of East Haddam.
Exhibiting artists are eligible for cash prizes, which will be awarded by this year’s judges: Jane Rainwater, artist and curator of the Dehn Gallery at MCC in Manchester, and Mindy Green of Rowayton, a nationally acclaimed artist and teacher.
The Bruce Museum’s Outdoor Crafts Festival includes international cuisine onsite. Hands-on craft activities for all ages are available at no additional charge in the Museum’s Education Workshop, and the galleries will be open.
The Festival is held on museum grounds at 1 Museum Dr. All works are available for purchase. Admission to the Outdoor Crafts Festival is $10, free to members and children less than five. Admission includes all Festival activities plus entry to the museum, which is open to the public during Festival hours. At the festival entrance, visitors will be able to join the Bruce Museum to receive free admission and many instant discounts both at the festival and in the museum store.
Visitors are asked to park on Museum Drive and Steamboat Road or in the Island Beach Parking. For information, visit brucemuseum.org, or call 203-869-0376.
