Royal Oak Farmers Market art fair to arrive just in time for holidays

ROYAL OAK — The Guild of Artists & Artisans will host the ninth annual Royal Oak Market: Art Fair Edition from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 21-22.

The fair will be held at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, 316 E. 11 Mile Road, and feature 60 jury-selected artists, live entertainment, food vendors and adult beverages.

Artists will be showcasing an array of different mediums including jewelry, ceramics, painting, glass, photography, fiber and more. Being so close to the holidays, some artists will be selling holiday-themed pieces.

Royal Oak resident and artist Amy Ferguson will be attending the event for the fifth year in a row and said she is bringing a selection of ornaments created from her original pieces.

“Holiday things tend to do really well there (at the art fair). It’s a good place to buy gifts for any holiday,” she said. “I print very small sections of my work, and I sandwich the paper between two panes of glass, and then I solder around the edges to make a stained glass ornament with my art on the inside.”

Ferguson creates and sells work through her business, Printer & Press, which is based on her love for drawing and printing, nature, and all things fantasy, according to her website, printerandpress.com.

“In my booth, all of my work starts as an original drawing, an illustration from either my head or based on a story or a fantasy or animals or anything,” she said. “I do the drawings in pencil or pen and ink, and then I will scan my drawings into PhotoShop and color them digitally, and then I can print those in different sizes.”

Ferguson’s work consists of illustrations or etchings that have the tiniest of details, and one piece can take upwards of a few weeks depending on the size.

“Because my work is so detailed, there are a lot of steps involved,” she said. “If it is a larger drawing, it will take weeks to do the drawing itself, which is why I color things on the computer, because it actually makes it faster to do it on the computer.”

Selling artwork through Printer & Press has been Ferguson’s main source of income for nearly 10 years, and she said that the Royal Oak Market: Art Fair Edition always provides her with good business.

“I have found it to be very successful. I have also noticed that it continues to gain a following each year, for an event that just started not long ago,” she said. “It is very fun. Like anything at the farmers market, it is fun for sure.”

This year, the art fair is featuring artwork created by mixed media artist Armando Pedroso, of Fennville.

“This is his first year doing the show, and his work is very phenomenal,” said Allison Neal, senior director of marketing and partnerships for the Guild of Artists & Artisans. “He does painting and is a self-taught artist. People are drawn to his work.”

The show features mainly artists from Michigan, but some come from states surrounding Michigan, according to Neal.

Neal said that the art fair is a unique opportunity to have something fun to do during the week, because it is on a Thursday and a Friday.

“Most shows are usually on the weekend, so it gives you something to do for the week or during the day, if you’re off or want to do something during your lunch break,” she said. “It also goes late into the evening. It goes until 9 o clock, so it’s great.”

There will be food options at the event and also a new addition of canned cocktails from sponsor Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers, according to Neal. Live entertainment will be performing throughout the event.

“We’re proud to provide the metro Detroit community with a cozy art fair to kick off the holiday season,” Nicole McKay, artist relations director of the Guild of Artists & Artisans, said in a prepared statement. “This event brings together exceptional artists to create a fun atmosphere that’s been a crowd favorite for gift shopping no matter your budget.”

For more information, visit www.royaloakartfair.com or follow Royal Oak Market: Art Fair Edition and the guild on social media @royaloakmarketartfairedition (Facebook) and @guildfairs (Facebook and Instagram).