Artisans Market hours are from noon to 5 on Friday, 9 to 6 on Saturday, and Sunday from 10 to 4. The booths will be set up on the west side of the Square. The event, organized by the Mountain View Area Artisans Council, debuted 3 years ago in an effort to restore quality art and craft to the annual Folk Festival. With the cooperation of the City of Mountain View, the Chamber of Commerce, the Ozark Folk Center and the Arkansas Craft School; 4 local art groups set as their goal the creation of a quality juried art and craft show.
This year there are 41 booths representing an interesting mix of 2D art and craft, including hand made guitars, colorful rope hammocks, baskets, jewelry, pottery, and weaving. Local artists participating in the show are potters David and Becki Dahlstedt, John Perry & Judy Munn; bead makers Tom and Sage Holland; spinner and weaver Elena Augustine; Glenda Hershberger, Fiber Arts Guild; Folk Artists Doris Fountain and Bernadette Powell; and members of the Mountain View Art Guild.
To reward and encourage quality work and presentation, the MV Artisans Council is presenting six cash awards sponsored by local businesses. Jurors were selected by the Arkansas Craft School in keeping with its mission to encourage and recognize the importance of effective marketing of fine craft.
This year’s jurors are: Terri Van Orman, Executive Director of the Arkansas Craft School; Dana Shaffer, Professor Emeritus of Art at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa and a practicing fiber artist in Mountain View; and Jamie Murawski, landscape artist, and owner (now retired) of Town and Country Interiors on the Square for 15 years.
The six cash awards and their sponsors are:
Best of Show: Citizens Bank
Best Booth: First Service Bank
Outstanding Artisan: Beverly Wardlaw Pierce, Outdoor Properties, LLC
Peoples’ Choice Award: Candy Bouquet and Stonebrook Fudge Factory
Best Demonstration: Tommys Famous Pizza
Honorable Mention: Juror’s Choice Award: John & Carolyn Sanders, Sanders Antiques on the Square
There will be an Award Ceremony at 2 pm on Sunday. Awards will be presented to the winners by our own “Aunt Minnie Miles”. The awards will be on display during the Artisans Market on the Square in the Information Booth located at the North end of the Market. Ballots and a ballot box will also be available so that the public can vote for their favorite booth for a “People’s Choice” award. Please join us for this special event. Many businesses and restaurants around the square will be open on Sunday and there will be music on the Court House Stage. Joy’s Cafe will be open for breakfast from 7 to 11:30. The Arkansas Craft Gallery will be open from 10 to 4.
