Design Hunter's Journal

The weather in the Midwest is famously capricious, making any kind of outdoor show a gamble of sorts.

There were plenty of gamblers present at the first day of Northbrook Art in the Park, a juried art show featuring more than 80 artisans on the Northbrook Village Green, May 21-22. The rain started about an hour into the first day of the show, testing the staying power of the artisans as well as the visitors who came out on this damp, drizzly day to see the creativity on display. A magnificent bird with wings outstretched, apparently unafraid of the rain, was stationed at the entrance to greet them all:

The ducks wearing raincoats and galoshes are a nice touch. Thank goodness there is one more day of the art show, Sunday May 22, with no rain in the forecast!

The wet weather created unintentional bonding between artisans and random members of the public who took shelter under their tents during the sudden downpour. I learned about an unusual new art form, how to create kitchen items like peppermills using colored pencils, pinecones, and tricolor pasta embedded in resin, from the folks in The Art of Pens booth:

Artisan Mark Dreyer explained that real colored pencils were used to make this peppermill: covered in resin and then turned on a lathe, carved and milled to make a unique pattern. This process can be used with pasta, pinecones and so many other materials! I never would have known about this unusual technique without taking shelter in this particular booth.

Amy Amdur, president of Amdur Productions, the show’s presenter, believes that interactions between artisans and the public can act as a boost to the creative process, particularly after the forced distancing we all had to endure during the pandemic. “For the most part, artists are alone in their studios while they work. Shows like this give artists a chance to get feedback,” she said. In a way, the pandemic acted as an incubation period of sorts. “Now there is so much art just flowing out,” Amdur said, pointing to the booths around her.

I go with the flow, winding up in a booth full of gorgeously colored glasswork, made by Sheila and Mitch Papaioannou of Medusa’s Stones.

Why did they choose the name Medusa’s Stones? “My Greek husband called me Medusa because of my long curly hair,” Sheila Papaioannou tells me. She is the artisan responsible for the jewelry in the booth made from heated glass. And no, she did not just look at the items to turn them into stone, although that would certainly be a novel technique. “My husband Mitch does the coldworking, but I’m the pyro with the torch,” she explains. At the top of every hour during this show, Papaioannou will be giving demonstrations in her booth of how to do torchwork with glass.

K.M. Pottery

The fascinating lacy openwork pottery of K.M. Pottery is another clear standout of this show. These intriguing pots have names like Twisted Urchin and Green Hollow Nest. “After I throw the pot, I carve the openings, making them beveled on both sides,” said Kyle Pappalardo, owner of K.M. Pottery. Amazing that it doesn’t collapse in on itself! I have seen lacy 3D-printed pots, but never any made by hand.

Wizard of Woodworking

There are not one but two booths at this show specializing in handmade pens and pen sets: The Art of Pens and the Wizard of Woodworking. Both have a wide variety of pens that would make great gifts, especially in this season of graduation gifting.

What a great gift for college grads starting their first real jobs. I especially like the handmade wooden presentation box that doubles as a pen stand!

My selections represent just a small fraction of the art on view at this impressive show. Northbrook Art in the Park continues through Sunday, May 22.