THE ANNUAL HAZEL PARK FINE ART FAIR CELEBRATES ITS 5TH YEAR!

Local artists, artisans, music and a grassroots community vibe is the focus of the annual Hazel Park Fine Art Fair. Now in its' fifth year, the fair has grown to include more artists than ever! 80 artists and 18 diverse musical acts will entertain you this year.

Green Acres Park is the place to be the weekend of August 27 & 28. The fair is FREE to attend and all ages are welcome. There will be a childrens' art area for creative youngsters to make and take home art of their own. Food will be provided by The Fargin Chef and adult beverages by Dragonmead Brewery and Griffin Claw Brewing Company. Proceeds from the fair's booth sales are donated to the Promise Zones college fund that provides tuition for high school graduates in the community. (Www.promisezones.org)

Only visual art/artisans such as sculptures, jewelry makers, metalworks and paintings will be featured – not mainstream product vendors - in order to keep the integrity as an “art fair.” Some of the many artists and artisans featured are artists Steven Gamburd, weird artist Brian Lewandowski, cityscape photographer Michele Lundgren, painter and toy creator Gwen Joy and the organizer of the Fair - artist Julie Fournier - will also display her paintings from her Smiling Eyes Studio (juliekfournier.com).  Returning to the fair this year is eclectic light sculptures by Joey Mazzola of Eastworks Detroit Studio and photographer Laura Grimshaw.

Audra Kubat

Local music will also be showcased with 18 diverse acts performing over the weekend. The
2016 music line-up features Americana songwriter Matt Dmits, folk songbird Audra Kubat, pop rockers Go Tiger Go and psychedelic art rockers Spaceband.

Go Tiger Go

Sunday's music starts off with the Grosse Pointe Lake Shore Chorus, troubadour Mike Galbraith, rock band The Landmarks and the fair finale is the hard rock band Blackmail.

Producing the fair is a labor of love for organizer Julie Fournier, a resident and artist who exhibits her paintings and crafts at many other local events. With her years of experience attending festivals, she decided to start one in her community of Hazel Park to benefit the area and also raise some money for a worthy cause. "The HPAF strives to provide a truly unique festival with an eye on benefitting the community we are a part of and enhancing the local quality of life for everyone involved," Fournier says in the Fair's mission statement.

The Hazel Park Fine Art Fair will be held on Saturday, August 27 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday, August 28 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Green Acres Park located at 620 W. Woodward Heights (9 ½ Mile) in Hazel Park. For the complete list of artists please visit Www.hazelparkartfair.com. For info please email hazelparkartfair@gmail.com