Mulvane to host art fair to raise funds for education programs and art lab

Troy Russell

Starting Saturday, June 6, the Mulvane Art Museum will be hosting the Mulvane Art Fair on the Washburn University campus.

The fair takes place Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“The Mulvane art fair is a fundraiser for the Mulvane Art Museum and what it does is funds education programs and the art lab in the basement of the museum,” said Sharon Boranyak, spokesperson for the event.

The fair will include music sponsored by The Topeka Blues Society, an art lab children’s tent, and a food court and beer garden.

Children 12 and younger as well as members of Friends of the Mulvane Art Museum get in free while the rest of the public can get in at the gate for $10.

The musical entertainment will include two international acts: “Biscuit Miller & The Mix, and Rachelle Coba,” and one popular local act, “The 800’s.”

“With what I’ve learned about the blues artists (is) it makes the $10 admission fee a very fair price even if you’re not going to look at any art,” Boranyak said.

There are 91 artists booked for the fair coming from 17 states to display and sell paintings, prints, jewelry, wood, ceramics and even metal work. The 91 artists breaks the record for the number of attending artists.

The children’s art lab tent will take trash and turn it into treasure, creating sculptures, jewelry, windsocks and wall art from recycled materials. Handmade maracas will be done in the tent and Justin Shelton of the Topeka Blues Society will provide harmonicas and harmonica lessons at 1 p.m. As an extension of the Blues in Schools program, 30 harmonicas will be given away each day. There will also be a children’s tent providing temporary tattoos.

The vendors involved with the fair providing food will be Crazy 8’s Concessions, Southern Star Cafe, Dundee’s, Auletti’s Italian Ices, Cashmere Gourmet Popcorn and Chartwells Catering.

There will be a beer garden, however as it is a family friendly event this is essentially an area designed for gathering and enjoying the vendors food and beverages.

For more information, visit http://mulvaneartfair.org/.