Craft celebrations
This year, I paid close attention to Art in the Park. I've always had respect for those who organize it, particularly as it has grown.
But candidly, arts and crafts fairs aren't my thing. I don't mean this as an insult. I didn't finally agree to move to Des Moines until I was assured it had hobby stores well stocked with model tank and airplane kits. The number of people who make money from arts and crafts fairs far exceeds the people who make money building model aircraft. We just have different tastes.
This year, though, I really looked. I wanted to find a gift for my sweetie. The big wrought iron arbors looked great, but since we're starting in an apartment, we don't have an English garden for an arbor.
The homemade food looked good, but I would have opened it to make sure it tasted all right. Giving anyone, even your sweetie, a half-eaten jar of sand plum jelly is not acceptable. In my defense, I am a victim of genetics. I was 16 years old before I realized cakes aren't supposed to have a corner cut out of them. Mom wanted to make sure each one tasted all right.
What I wasn't looking for was something with an apple on it. I've known a lot of teachers in my day, and I've come to the conclusion that they receive a lifetime of decorative apple items in the first year of teaching.
I was struck by the high quality of items available. Craft shoppers have gotten sophisticated. Hot-gluing a few spangles on scrap cloth and calling it a scarf wouldn't past muster. Essentially, if it looks at all like an item that might also be available through a carny at the state fair, people weren't interested.
There weren't quite as many patriotic items as I expected. I don't think this means people are less patriotic, but it does mean there's only so much one can do with red, white, and blue. Anyway, I'm uncomfortable with all the flags on clothing and other items. Old T-shirts tend to become rags, and I don't want to see a representation of a flag being used to scrub down car tires.
To me, it looked like most of the crafters truly loved their hobby. The man with the hand-carved wooden items, from whom I bought a little ring box, probably would work with wood even if all he did was make trinkets for his family.
Maybe craft fairs aren't so bad, after all.
— MATT NEWHOUSE
