McHenry County News FRE
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11512 N. 2nd ST. • MACHESNEY PARK, IL 61115 • (815) 654-4850 • www.McHenrycountynewspaper.com Display Advertising & Classifieds: 815-654-4850 • Circulation: 815-654-4854 • E-mail:McHenrynews@rvpublishing.com
Volume 6 Issue 52
DECEMBER 22, 2016
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ClayWorkers’ Guild Christmas Display 2016 By Anne Eickstadt CORRESPONDENT
One of the most artistic and popular displays of its kind, the ClayWorkers’ Guild Holiday Art Pottery Sale has been a popular shopping destination for the past 10 years. The CWG annual sale is located in the Old Courthouse Arts Center on the historic Woodstock Square. Members of the ClayWorkers’ Guild of Illinois join together every November and December to offer beautifully handcrafted, artisan works of ceramic art for both display and everyday use. You can surround your home with art and use it in your everyday lives. There are fifteen CWG Illinois members on display this year for the Annual Holiday Sale. “You can’t find that anywhere else,” says Ben Rosenfield of Frog Hollow Pottery. “We are already at double the sales this year. People see and understand that they can use art in their lives every day. There are a lot of accomplished artists that are new to the guild. Some of these clay workers are people that you would have to go to Chicago or elsewhere to see.” Clay workers on display at the Holiday Sale this year include: Susan Clough, Susan Galloway, Cyndi Hicks, Jill Munger, Frank Richards, Ben Rosenfield, Patricia Volkammer, Hironobu Nishitateno, Marylou Mateja, Mary Paul Garland, John Garland, Socoyro ‘Coco’ Medina, Ann Marie Whitmore Lenzini, Jim Losh, and Lena Wells. The day I visited the display, it was being attended by Ben Rosenfield and Jill Unger. Between them, they told me a great deal about each of the artists participating in the Holiday Sale. Here is a very little of what I
See CLAYWORKERS, Page 2
ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO McHenry County News
Marylou Mateja is a gifted sculptor in pottery. Children and adults alike pet her rabbit while they browse.
Holiday Faire 2016 By Anne Eickstadt CORRESPONDENT
ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO McHenry County News
Ann Chaney of Grace Farm Studios and Holly Marks of HolliBerri Icelandics with products from the wool of their Icelandic sheep.
The McHenry County Fairground hosted the ‘Homemade for the Holidays’ Holiday Faire on Saturday and Sunday, December 10 – 11. More than thirty small business vendors set up booths to offer unique hand-crafted items to customers. The vendors were happy to talk about their businesses. Here are a few: Ohana Farms: The word ‘ohana’ means ‘family in Hawaiian. Four family members are directly involved in the daily workings at Ohana Farms and they treat their customers like ‘ohana’. Sue Czanda (the C is silent) says, “We are family owned and we grow native shade trees and ornamental shrubs. We make all our own sale product.” – 3511 Millstream Road, Marengo, IL, www.ohana-farms.com R & R Critter Creations with Robin Sifuentes and Rick Polson: “She makes them, I sell them,” says Polson. “Robin’s been making these for twenty-five years. She is the only one who makes this design. The horses have three basic themes – sports, colleges, and cartoon characters. The giraffe is a more neutral fabric. She has twenty grandchildren. These animals are kid tested and mother approved.” They can be on Facebook at Robin Rene’e Clark Sifuentes. Perennial Sunshine Glassworks: “On our honeymoon, we went on a cruise and visited Jewel Gardens in Alaska. They have gardens with a glass studio. We did blown glass,” says Lisa-Beth Patzke-Lovero. “Three months after that,” Scott Lovero says, “We were in Door County and visited the Hands On Art Studio. That was that, we were hooked.” “We got a kiln and we started doing glass ourselves,”
See FAIRE, Page 3