Fine art fair moves to Ford House

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — An annual fine art fair has a new home in the Grosse Pointes.

After being at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club for the last couple of years, the Art as Healing Foundation is moving its Grosse Pointe Art Fair just down the road, to the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores. The juried fine art and fine artisan fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 19 and 20 in the Ford House Visitors Center.

Work by approximately 40 artists — from as far away as California — will be featured and available for purchase. Most of the artists are from the Midwest, and several hail from metro Detroit — including glass artist Helen Agius-Andrese, of Farmington Hills; sculptor Carrie Bladecki, of Rochester; ceramist Chrys Bonnay-Lewis, of Grosse Pointe Woods; painter Linda Boyle, of Grosse Pointe Park; ceramist Valarie Davis, of Grosse Pointe Woods; fiber artist Christina Liedtke, of Detroit; leather artist Jennifer Krcic, of Keego Harbor; jewelry maker Amy Peterson, of Detroit; painter Cathy McCarthy, of Sterling Heights; painter Jamie Thomson, of Royal Oak; and painter Jules Pflanzer, of Bloomfield Hills.

The nonprofit Art as Healing Foundation — which is currently based in Ypsilanti but will soon be moving to Brighton — was established in 2015 by Karyn Stetz, of Brighton, a painter, photographer, installation and digital artist.

Stetz said her foundation organizes art fairs and exhibitions throughout the region, including in Charlevoix, Toledo and the Brighton/Pinkney area.

“It’s a way for artists to get exposure and sell their work,” Stetz said.

In addition, the Art as Healing Foundation hosts workshops and other programs as it works to promote inclusion and diversity in art and use art as a means of healing.

“Art is a healing endeavor,” Stetz said, noting that it can be healing for the artists as they create work and express themselves, and it can also be healing for viewers. “Most people put their heart and souls into (their artwork).”

Davis will be showcasing works from some of her series, which include “Scarred Women”; “Matriarchs,” about the wisdom and grace imparted by older women in families; “Side Views,” men and women in profile; and “Warriors,” about the courage and strength men muster to overcome challenges. Davis said “Scarred Women” focuses on women who may be beautifully dressed and made up on the outside, but inside might be struggling with trauma such as a divorce or breast cancer; these difficulties make women stronger and shape them, the artist said. Davis’ ceramics are often sculptural in nature.

“Just pushing through life is what my work is about,” Davis said. “How we have to step out into the world regardless of what we’re going through. … I want people to be sympathetic to others.”

Davis said she will also be bringing some of the lamps and decorative plates she’s created.

Fair visitors will find a range of work, from painting to jewelry to photography to woodworking.

“The artists are really exceptional,” Stetz said.

She said they hope to build this event into a fundraiser for the foundation, but because this is the first year they’re going to be at the Ford House, they weren’t sure what the response was going to be like.

“We definitely have the intention to make it an annual event,” Stetz said.

Admission to the fair is included with a Ford House grounds pass, which costs $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for children ages infant through 5. Admission is free for Ford House members.

The Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores. For more information, visit GrossePointeArtFair.com or contact Stetz by texting her at (734) 476-1772 or emailing artfairfun@gmail.com.