Fests give outlet to artisans on The Murfreesboro Post

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Fests give outlet to artisans

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By: MELINDA HUDGINS, mhudgins@murfreesboropost.com

Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2011 6:48 am

Fests give outlet to artisans | Business, Murfreesboro

David Adkins displays some of his wire art at the Greenway art Festival last week. His wire trees have been a hit at music and art festivals across the state. (Photo by M. Hudgins)

David Adkins sparked his interest in wire art while toying around with paperclips. He would bend them into shapes of scales and set them on his desk. For a good 10 years, this served as creative outlet for him.

After a work-sponsored art show, a friend told Adkins about the Greenway Art Festival, which is held each year in Murfreesboro.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“People seem to like it,” Adkins said of his wire art. “I used to do more desk sculptures, and then I brought a (wire) tree to weigh down a table, and it became the most popular item.”

For the past five years, he has sought out craft shows and artisans fairs to display and sell his Art Wire Music.

“At some point, I want to have my own (studio),” Adkins, a full-time musician, said.

For a short while, his art was available inside mesh., a boutique of locally handmade clothing, jewelry, artwork, sculpture and various gifts. It closed earlier this year after a two-year stint on Lytle Street in downtown Murfreesboro.

“I wish there was another mesh. or something similar,” he continued.

Adkins isn’t alone – there are dozens of local artists who need a place for their artwork to call home.

Several local businesses, like Top of the Block Salon, offer space for artists to hang their paintings or display their sculptures. It provides a win-win for both parties: the business’s walls aren’t naked and artists can often sell their works.

Susan Rodehaver sells her Turtleware Pottery inside an antique and crafts shop in Bell Buckle and at JoZoara Coffee Shop in Murfreesboro.

She’s been making pottery since the 1970s and even paid her way through college by making turtles out of rocks from Lake Michigan. Recently, she began adding scriptures on her mugs and pots.

“It’s the perfect way to start your day: with a cup of coffee and scripture,” Rodehaver said.

Most of the time, she’s a visual display and buyer for a flower company based in Jacksonvile, Fla. But in her free time, Rodehaver is a potter.

“Eventually I’ll retire and this is all I’ll do,” she said, adding that at that point, she might consider opening a brick and mortar for her artwork.

In the meantime, she sets up booths at the Greenway Art Festival and also at the White Oak Craft Fair in Woodbury.

Without a storefront for their merchandise, artists of all walks rely on craft fairs like these as a way to reach customers. They have also utilized sites like Etsy and Facebook, along with creating their own websites.

“There are not many places to sell stuff,” photographer Rachel Johnson said.

Like many other artists, Johnson has a full time job – she’s a frame shop manager at Hobby Lobby in Hermitage – and admits it’s “hard to make a living off this.”

“We need more places that will provide a hangout and outlet (for artists),” Johnson continued. “I’m surprised that in a town like this, there’s not a lot of outlets for art. You have to be in an office or shop or something that doesn’t cater to artists, specifically.”

Until such a shop exists, local artisans will pack and unpack their goods at crafts and music shows across the state.

Calling them a gamble, Johnson admitted that some festivals weren’t profitable, but proved beneficial because customers can discuss their likes and dislikes about her work.

“Ultimately, I’d like to get to the point where I could get a festival tour going,” Johnson said. “That’s a good way to get feedback on what people are looking at and interested in buying.

Tagged under Business, Murfreesboro

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By: HollydayMarketplace on 9/26/11
The Junior League of Murfreesboro is gearing up to host it's 7th annual Hollyday Marketplace on November 5, 2011. The event will host numerous local vendors showcasing many items such as jewelry, clothing, candles, art. There are still available booths available and this would be a great event for local artisans to showcase merchandise. You may contact hollydaymarketplace@gmail.com for more information.