What You Missed at Madison's Art Fair on the Square
This past weekend approximately 150,0000 art, food and/or celebration lovers flooded Capitol Square for Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s annual fundraising event Art Fair on the Square. The event raises money to keep the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art free to the public and to be used towards education programs. The fair is loved throughout the community and is nationally recognized as one of the best fine arts fairs in the country. The event brings around $25 million of revenue to the local area and this year celebrated its 55th birthday.
I’m currently in the middle of my first summer living in Madison so Saturday I believed I had a journalistic duty to trek to Capitol Square and munch on some of Stella’s Hot and Spicy Cheese Bread while experiencing the Art Fair first hand.
The fair showcases more than 450 artists who beat out tough competition to exhibit their crafts which include photography, sculptures, painting, woodwork, metalwork, clothing, jewelry and pieces I wouldn’t dare try to categorize.
One artist that caught my attention ordered minuscule figurines hand-painted in Germany and then created landscapes for his characters with unconventional media including cauliflower as a snowy mountaintop, a pint of Guinness for a pond perfect for a little character to row across. Another artist created moving artwork using colorfully painted gears. Another made large human sculptures made from a mesh type of material that were to be lit and hung from the ceiling where they would twist like permanently suspended ballerinas.
Many photography booths sold canvas pieces shot across Italy, France, Ireland, Austria, The Czech Republic and of course the Midwest.
I wandered up to the capitol on the northwest side joining a large crowd of people and learned that the fair showcases local dance companies as well. Acts changed every hour. I was lucky enough to watch Madison Contemporary Vision Dance company and adorable children in Trinity Irish Dancers Irish-step dancing with their curly wigs bouncing with every high kick.
Local musicians came out in droves to impress the large crowds by crooning and strumming between art booths.
To beat the heat beer and lemonade stands stood on every corner and in true Wisconsin fashion the smell of deep fried cheese curds filled the air. For all of the diehard farmers’ market fans, the farmers’ market was included in the event though moved just off of the square. The fresh fruits, vegetables and cheese fought for attention against the fresh flowers lighting up the street.
Judging by the waves of people I had to weave through and the smiles plastered on their faces despite the heat, I feel confident proclaiming this year’s fair a success.