Vintage Flair and Eco-Friendly Venders Featured at Westlake Art Show

The Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows are not your typical mom and pop potholder craft shows. This eclectic group of artists has become known as a niche group in the local art and craft show community. Unique vendors range from precious jewelry made of reused American coins, to quirky and eco-friendly flower vases made out of recycled light bulbs. The show has taken the typical art and craft show stereotype and flipped it on its head!

This year's Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show will be held at Wagner’s Country Inn, 30855 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29. A portion of proceeds will be donated to , a non-profit organization that provides support services and programs, free-of-charge, to individuals touched by cancer in Summit, Medina, Stark, Portage and Wayne counties.

A notable trend in the art show industry has been that of using “upsycled” elements and taking what was once vintage and making it new. This trend has become popular for a variety of reasons: customers like unique pieces that no one else has, and for artisans and crafters, the ability to create vintage upcycled pieces is an affordable option for materials, and offers a unique selling point, that each is a rare item. These vendors visit everywhere including antique shops and local Goodwill shops to find lost treasures and make them it into something fabulous.
 
Visitors at the upcoming 2012 Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show will have a chance to shop over 100 handmade vendors at Wagner’s Country Inn. Some of the great showcased upcycled products that will be for sale include accessories made out of old skeleton keys, maps, and 1940s brooches and various upcycled home décor, to name a few.
 
“There is a definite nod to the past when viewing some of these vendors and their work. It’s really exciting to see what vendors come up with and how they take something from the past and make it applicable to the trends that are popular now,” said Becki Cooper, founder of the Avant-Garde Art & Craft shows.
 
In addition to offering upcycled vintage finds, the show also features several eco-friendly vendors including: cosmetics made out of beeswax from local beekeepers, local Lake Erie beach glass and recycled wine bottle jewelry, hair accessories and clothing made from recycled fabrics, hand bound journals from recycled paper, purses from recycled t-shirts, and even crayons remolded from previously used ones!

For more information about the winter show or to see some of the vendors' work, visit www.avantgardeshows.com.