Eat, Shop and Play at Cherrywood Art Fair! Announcing a Lineup of Amazing Bands, Family Fun Activities, and Local Food Trucks

Download Press Release

CONTACT: Christy Butler, Jewell Media
Christy@cityjewell.com 512.694.6456

Eat, Shop and Play at Cherrywood Art Fair!
Announcing a Lineup of Amazing Bands, Family Fun Activities, and Local Food Trucks for December 10 & 11, 2016.

(Austin, Texas) — Gearing up for a full weekend of fun, Cherrywood Art Fair is so much more than just a shopping destination — it is truly an Austin holiday tradition bringing together local eats, lively music and a plethora of engaging activities for the entire family.

The music stage will come alive at 11am on Saturday morning to showcase a variety of musical genres including 18-year-old country singer Bethany Becker, sister pop trio Tiarra Girls, eight-piece brass band Interrobang Brass, indie group The Canvas People and Austin’s beloved School of Rock. Headlining this year’s Fair is the acclaimed singer-songwriter and past The Voice contestant Suzanna Choffel, who will take the stage on Saturday at 3pm.

On Sunday, the center stage will transition to entertainment with balloons and tricks from Magic by Carlos, an energizing performance from The Pink Flamenco Children’s Dance Academy, puppet fun with The Van Show, inspiring beats from Austin Community Steelband, Storytime with Sukyi McMahon and family friendly improv comedy by Hideout Theatre’s Flying Theater Machine. Tying together the talent as the 2016 emcees will be the sassy and smart comedian Maggie Maye and KUTX 98.9 DJ and musician Elizabeth McQueen.

“It’s been a pleasure to produce such a celebrated event during its 15th year! We’re so excited about the diverse lineup of music and family friendly attractions we curated and can’t wait to share it with all of the attendees. With rock n’ roll headliners, improv and community acts, there truly is something for everyone,” said Glitter Tribe & co-producer Taylor Wilson.

music schedule

This entertainment list most certainly does not stop there with community partners lining up the Maplewood Elementary School cafeteria and basketball court for two full days of interactive fun. Attendees can participate in a variety of offerings such as crafting with Catherine Prystup of livemom.com, hair styling from Braid Babe, Face Painting by Ruth, a bike maintenance workshop with Yellow Bike Project, animal games with All Things Wild, a recycling education table by Break It Down, aerial performances by Circus of Hope, kid’s gardening activities with Gardenheads and many more fun-filled activity stations.

Be sure to stop by the Austin Creative ReUse booth for complimentary gift wrapping of all your Texas-made treasures. You’ll also be able to refuel at one of the many food trucks like Hat Creek Provisions, Heretic Handhelds, Jake Hates Coffee, Juana Taco, Mmmpanadas, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Texas Chili Queens and Wholly Kabob. Plan to stay all day, shop, eat and play!

The Fair showcases local makers, live music, kid’s activities and food trailer cuisine in a family-friendly environment. This year’s confirmed artists represent an eclectic group of 88 Texas artists selling an array of unique goods including whimsical toys, small batch pottery, pet accessories, organic skin care products, fine art, handmade jewelry, clothing, bags and more.

“Cherrywood Art Fair has long been my favorite fair in Austin. The quality and variety of what you can find is unbeatable. Every year is different, so it’s a new treasure hunt every time. From unique paintings and photography to on-trend jewelry and bags, I could find a year’s worth of gifts for all my family and friends at Cherrywood,” said event chair Amy Hadley.

CAF has been going strong for 15 years and this rain or shine event remains free and open to the public. The proceeds from the Fair benefit Chula League’s Little Artist BIG ARTIST, a free after-school arts mentoring program that pairs professional artists with East Austin elementary school children to teach them how to turn a concept into art, and art into a business. Look for their little artist creations at the 200+ item silent auction, which also features gift cards from popular local businesses and donated wares from each of the Fair artists.

For more information about the 2016 Fair, including the artist lineup, bands, food vendors, community partners, sponsors, schedule of events and more, like Cherrywood Art Fair on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram: @ChulaLeague or visit www.cherrywoodartfair.org.

Link to 2016 Artists Press Release: Beloved Austin Holiday Shopping Event Celebrates 15 Years Cherrywood Art Fair Announces its December 10 & 11 Artist Lineup

This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

###

Staff Interview with Amy Hadley, Event Chair

Get to know the 2016 Cherrywood Art Fair Event Chair, Amy Hadley!

Amy Hadley

Amy began her career as News 8 Austin’s morning live reporter, where she won the hearts of viewers with her Fit for Friday & Forever Families segments. She lived in Prague for 2 years then returned to anchor and create another segment, House Proud. She’s now helping others become house proud as an interior designer.


WHAT’s your day job?

Interior Designer


WHAT’s your favorite hobby?

Eavesdropping at coffee shops. Austin is so full of creative people planning amazing ventures. I love to pretend I’m working while I listen to their scheming, especially in a hip coffee shop with great music. Not to mention delicious caffeine.

WHAT are you MOST excited about for this year’s fair?

I’d like to say shopping for friends and family, but shopping for myself is the truth. I’m on a plant and simple jewelry kick right now, so I’ll be zeroing in on all things green and shiny.

WHAT’s your favorite East Austin hang out?

Sawyer & Co. You didn’t know Cajun brunch was your life’s purpose until you’ve eaten at Sawyer. They have the best pancakes in town, and I love channeling Betty Draper in the astro-turfed, 60s-fabulous outdoor lounge. We take all our out-of-town guests there to show off.

WHAT Austin celebrity should come shop at the CHERRYWOOD ART FAIR?

Elijah Wood. If he’s cool enough to buy a house in Austin, he’s cool enough to appreciate and support all the unique, quality goods Austin artists create.

IF you could pick any local, family-oriented act (a band, artist, musician, activity, dance team, theatre troop, etc.) to perform at the fair, WHO would it be?

Big Don! I did a story on Big Don at ACL’s Kiddie Limits one year. He’s a great performer and the nicest guy. He does free shows all over town all year, which is really cool of him.

Staff Interview: Courtney Billingsley – Silent Auction Manager

Courtney Billingsley

The Cherrywood Art Fair staff starts working early in the year to bring you the best art fair in Austin. This week the spotlight is on our dedicated Silent Auction Manager, Courtney Billingsley. Courtney is a full-time Event Manager, with a passion for nonprofit organizations and community engagement.


WHAT’s your day job?

Events Manager Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area


WHAT’s your favorite hobby?

My favorite hobbies include planning parties, drinking coffee, golf and chasing my two little kids around.


WHAT are you MOST excited about for this year’s fair?

I’m most excited to see our auction items and children’s & professional art pieces fly off the tables and into people’s homes!


WHAT’s your favorite East Austin hang out?

Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors


WHAT Austin celebrity should come shop at the CHERRYWOOD ART FAIR?

Jen Hatmaker (author and inspiration) should bring her incredible family and check out the unique artists!


IF you could pick any local, family-oriented act (a band, artist, musician, activity, dance team, theatre troop, etc.) to perform at the fair, WHO would it be?

My entire family is entranced by any Acapella group- so creative, it’s a winner for the fair!

Staff Interview: Marketing/Media Manager

Christy Butler



Former creator, publisher and editor of Jewell Magazine, Christy Butler has always been an advocate of shopping local. Currently, she is eager to help Austin businesses with a variety of Marketing and Public Relations efforts through her company Jewell Media. She has been a gung-ho resident of ATX for 17 years.



WHAT’s your day job?

Jewell Media


WHAT’s your favorite hobby?

Cooking is one of my biggest passions; it is one of the few things that can 100% de-stress me. I was never much of a baker until I had kids. You are never loved more than when you give them a warm, home-baked cookie.


WHAT are you MOST excited about for this year’s fair?

To connect with the Austin Artisan community and scratch off every name on my holiday gift list.


WHAT’s your favorite East Austin hang out?

I love to tuck myself away at Sawyer & Co. for meetings and I always jump at the chance to hang out with our friends at Rain Lily Farm. The graphic design studio I work with, Brink Creative, also resides on an Eastside Farm. The Eastside hangout list is really endless!


WHAT Austin celebrity should come shop at the CHERRYWOOD ART FAIR?

Erykah Badu (TX celebrity) – she’s also been know to break out on the spot with a jam for a good cause.


IF you could pick any local, family-oriented act (a band, artist, musician, activity, dance team, theatre troop, etc.) to perform at the fair, WHO would it be?

Cilantro Boombox, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Afrofreque

Volunteers Make The Fair Shine!

Our fair would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers who donate their time year after year to make Cherrywood Art Fair one of the most successful not-for-profit fairs in Central Texas. They volunteer for many reasons but it’s not always to simply help the fair be successful or to gain event experience. More often than not, they volunteer to ensure that proceeds from the fair continue to support Chula League’s Little Artist BIG ARTIST arts mentoring program.

So today, and everyday, we thank our volunteers. We are humbled by their giving hearts, support of local art and dedication to the laBA program!

We hope that you will consider volunteering for the 2016 Cherrywood Art Fair. Please contact our FANTASTIC new Volunteer Coordinator – Carmen James. She can answer general questions or help find the perfect role for you.

WHAT’s your day job?

I’m Literacy Specialist at a Spanish immersion elementary school.

WHAT’s your favorite hobby?

I love sewing and making colorful things, and recently I’ve gotten into printmaking. I’m excited to show a few woodcut prints at the Women Printmakers of Austin gallery for E.A.S.T.

WHAT are you MOST excited about for this year’s fair?

I’m super excited to be involved in the fair this year and to get to know everyone. I’m planning to get some unique Christmas gifts for my family (jewelry? ceramics?), and I’ll definitely make a stop at the German Christmas cookie trailer.

WHAT’s your favorite East Austin hang out?

It’s a tough call, but one of them is Gourmand’s.

WHAT Austin celebrity should come shop at the CHERRYWOOD ART FAIR?

I think Willie Nelson would appreciate the artsy East-side vibe.

IF you could pick any local, family-oriented act (a band, artist, musician, activity, dance team, theatre troop, etc.) to perform at the fair, WHO would it be?

The multimedia storybook Ivy and the Wicker Suitcase by local musician Brian Beattie, which features loads of Austin musical talent, sounds pretty amazing.

Beloved Austin Holiday Shopping Event Celebrates 15 Years Cherrywood Art Fair Announces its December 10 & 11 Artist Lineup

Download Press Release

For Immediate Release

CONTACT: Christy Butler, Jewell Media
Christy@cityjewell.com 512.694.6456

Beloved Austin Holiday Shopping Event Celebrates 15 Years!
Cherrywood Art Fair Announces its December 10 & 11 Artist Lineup

Championed by local nonprofit Chula League, this free, family-friendly event supports the Little Artist BIG ARTIST mentoring program.

(Austin, Texas) — Since its inception in 2002, Chula League’s Cherrywood Art Fair (CAF) has come a long way, but most importantly these principals have stayed consistent: no manufactured goods, no junk, all original art! Hundreds of artist applications have been carefully reviewed by a panel of respected jurors to cultivate a balanced, high-quality show including an eclectic group of goods ranging from whimsical toys for kids and pets to small batch functional ceramics to geometric jewelry and organic skincare products. The curating work is thanks to 2016 jurors Michael Sieben, editor of Thrasher Magazine and columnist at Juxtapose, Jennifer Perkins, Austin Craft Mafia founding member and former producer of Stitch Craft & Fashion Show and Asa Hursh, Executive Director of Art Alliance Austin.

Held in East Austin, the proceeds from Cherrywood Art Fair will benefit its host Maplewood Elementary School and Chula League’s Little Artist BIG ARTIST program, a 10-week mentoring experience pairing professional artists with East Austin 5th and 6th graders to turn ideas into art and art into business.

“Little Artist BIG ARTIST is cultivating the next generation of makers,” said Ann Flemings, Chula League Executive Director. “Since 2007, we have mentored over 174 kids on the practicalities required to be a successful working artist. We are proud that proceeds from the Fair will help us expand the program from four to six East Austin schools next year, empowering more children to explore their creativity, celebrate accomplishments and strengthen social skills.”

The 2016 Cherrywood Art Fair will represent a diverse selection of seasoned veterans and new promising artisans alike. Below is a sampling of a few of the 88 artists whose booths will grace the halls of Maplewood Elementary School from 10 am to 5 pm on December 10th and 11th.

Bee Amour is a bee-centric jewelry line created by a backyard beekeeper that supports living bees with every sale.

Copper Dot Weaving creates handwoven wall hangings inspired by natural colors and fibers, woven into beautiful geometrical shapes.

feto soap handcrafts fragrant, fun and skin-safe bath & body products, nail polishes and candles.

Franny & Metal jewelry pays tribute to clean geometric lines and hollow spaces, creating modern, durable and minimalist jewelry.

Joel Ganucheau, Austin Art Garage co-founder, creates mixed media and acrylic experimental works of art, inspired by Austin and beyond.

Kimball Prints dreams up nature-inspired kitchen tea towel designs with brilliantly colored succulents, animals, fruits, vegetables and more.

LemonGlaze carefully hand-forms, stamps, and glazes unique ceramic pieces from dainty ring holders to large serving dishes.

Lille Huset LLC makes magical paper dollhouses and whimsical games, books and décor for the little ones in your life.

OldNewMiddle repurposes found materials such as record albums, antique door knobs, vintage maps and books to create true, one-of-a-kind gifts.

Smith Map Studio hand-draws original maps of iconic Texas themes, cities and US history using pen, ink and acrylic paint.

The full Cherrywood Art Fair artists list is found here: http://cherrywoodartfair.org/2016-artists

In addition to the limitless shopping for everyone on your list, Cherrywood Art Fair will host a full-day of live music on Saturday with headliner Suzanna Choffel, engaging family-fun activities on Sunday including the wildly popular Lumiere Photo Booth and a weekend of Austin’s favorite food trucks including Mmmpanadas, Texas Chili Queens and Wholly Kabob. Both days will showcase a silent auction to benefit Chula League’s Little Artist BIG ARTIST program including goods from each participating CAF artist and artwork from the Little Artists who have participated in the mentorship program.

For more information about the 2016 Fair, including updates on confirmed bands, food vendors
and more, like Cherrywood Art Fair on Facebook: facebook.com/cherrywoodartfair, follow on
Twitter and Instagram: @ChulaLeague or visit http://www.cherrywoodartfair.org/.

This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

###

Get to know the Cherrywood Art Fair Artist Coordinator

Meredith

Get to know Meredith Kuntzsch, the Cherrywood Art Fair Artist Coordinator!

Meredith came to the great state of Texas to follow where the majority of her best art customers lived. She has exhibited at more than 300 art festivals and fairs, private salons and galleries — winning awards throughout the country. As an artist herself, Meredith hopes to bring a great sensitivity to this role.

What’s your day job?

Artist, (painter, development, lecturer, workshops) and music/fundraiser event production guru.

What’s your favorite hobby?

Music, music, music — being on stage or backstage at event-production gigs — I’m lucky to love my work. But, I’m also a big reader. Always a book in my hand. And forget about keeping me out of Lake Travis. Last but not least, if I had the money, skydiving every week. The higher the better. Wooooo!

What are you most excited about for this year’s fair?

Seeing all the beautiful handmade creations by our wonderful artists and welcoming our repeat and new customers who will be blown away by the talent. Seriously y’all, it’s gorgeous work!

What’s your favorite East Austin hangout?

It’s hard to name a favorite! Eastside Cafe has delicious homegrown veggies. They make memorable, unique dishes with their organic gems. I think I had a daily special made out of the leaves of some sort of tuber in an appetizer similar to a potato pancake. YUM! I also worked a SXSW event at Weather Up where beautifully crafted cocktails flew by. I love walking on those old wooden floors.

What Austin celebrity should come shop at the Cherrywood Art Fair?

Hayes Carll — I should personally assist him at the show. All day. Good shopping ideas for his girlfriend, son and family.

If you could pick any family-oriented act (a band, artist, musician, activity, dance team, theater troupe, etc.) to perform at the fair, who would it be?

I think Oliver Steck is a fabulous musician. He plays with a lot of people including Bob Schneider and teaches music to kids. He’s funny, smart as a whip, and theatrically trained. Oh, and a heck of a nice guy to boot. I should also put in a plug for my family…my niece’s husband, Drew Womack, Grammy award-winner, singer/songwriter and producer. Yep, also a heck of a nice guy!

Introducing Our New Executive Director

The Chula League Board of Directors is pleased to announce our new Executive Director, Ann Flemings.
Ann Flemings is an artist, mother, wife, and nonprofit all-star! Ann joins us from UT Austin where she worked with the Butler School of Music and the Jackson School of Geosciences. Always committed to local nonprofits, she currently serves as a board member of Generous Art and she served on the St. David’s Episcopal Church Grants committee. Ann is also a professional artist with a studio in East Austin.

Ann brings the perfect background to lead our charge in helping to fuel and sustain the arts in East Austin. Let’s learn a little more about her and her plans for Chula League…

You’ve been on the job just over two months. What has been your impression of Chula League so far?

I am amazed at how well run this small, volunteer-based, nonprofit is! It has created a sustainable income stream through the Cherrywood Art Fair (CAF) and we are so effective at managing money that neighborhood organizations have engaged us to serve as fiduciary on their behalf. That says a lot about the professionalism of the Chula League board.

We are doing so much, on such a small budget, to help the arts thrive in East Austin. We provide a productive marketplace for artisans to sell their work. We cultivate the next generation of artists as they turn their concepts into art, and their art into a business. Chula is doing its part to provide the tools needed to make the arts sustainable in East Austin.

The most heartwarming thing about Chula is the people. Everyone has been so welcoming! Our board members are committed to making this organization shine and some of our program volunteers have been with us for many years. It says to me that there is a lot of passion here, and I think it must be great fun to be a Chula volunteer.

What excites you about this position and how does it build on your prior professional experiences?

With my background in fundraising, I hope to expand our grant funding for Little Artist, BIG ARTIST (LaBA) and I am keen to build a donor base of individuals that support our mission. Right now, I am working on expanding sponsorships for the Cherrywood Art Fair.

The past 15 years have seen the fair grow to become one of the most anticipated holiday shopping events on the “shop local” scene. The Cherrywood Art Fair proceeds benefit Little Artist, BIG ARTIST, thus it becomes a real win-win for our sponsors. As a free, afterschool arts mentorship program, LaBA brings the best of Austin artists together with East Austin elementary school children and creates a 10 week experience which empowers all involved.

If we can increase fair sponsorships by 20%, that will help Little Artist BIG ARTIST go just a bit further. Opportunities are still available to co-brand your business with one of the few juried art fairs in Austin, so give me a call!

What do you think are the most significant opportunities for the organization? Challenges?

We are expanding the Little Artist, BIG ARTIST program and adding artist professional development workshops. The more people understand what we are working to accomplish, the bigger impact Chula League will be able to make. Board leadership is creating a strategic marketing plan to share our message with the goal to engage more people across all channels.

My job is to put the right resources in place — dedicated volunteers, adequate funds and beneficial partnerships — to move our programs forward. Working with the board, listening to our constituents and heeding the advice of our volunteers is important to my role. In fact, a fundamental responsibility of Chula League is to assure our programs thrive and that our volunteers are provided for and valued.

If you could say one more thing to supporters of Chula League, what would it be?

It is an exciting time to be part of Chula League. Become a volunteer with our programs, serve as a BIG ARTIST mentor or apply to the Cherrywood Art Fair. Donate to us and help raise Chula’s star across the 6,000 nonprofits that call Austin home. I encourage everyone to put the Chula League at the top of your “gift list” this year. We want to make giving to Chula a year-round habit.

Thank you for letting me share some thoughts about the future of Chula League. Please contact me at ann@chulaleague.com to get involved with us.

Meet the 2016 Cherrywood Art Fair Jurors!

Meet the 2016 Cherrywood Art Fair Jurors!

Michael Sieben is a professional designer and illustrator whose work has been exhibited and reviewed worldwide as well as featured in numerous illustration anthologies. He is currently the managing editor at Thrasher Magazine and has a monthly column in Juxtapoz Magazine. He is a founding member of Okay Mountain Collective and cofounder of The Program skateboards. Michael was also a Big Artist in Chula League’s Little Artist BIG ARTIST program.

Jennifer Perkins began her career as a jewelry designer. Her line, Naughty Secretary Club, has since been featured in publications like Elle Accessories, Teen Vogue, Bust and The New York Times. Her home and kitschy interior design aesthetic has been spotlighted by Apartment Therapy, Etsy, CNN, Yahoo Homes and more. As a businesswoman, blogger, and Indie craft pioneer, Jennifer has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal, Handmade Nation, Fortune Small Business and Inc. Magazine.

Asa Hursh is the Executive Director of Art Alliance Austin, which focuses on elevating Austin’s art scene and creating more education and access points to connect the public to contemporary art in Austin. Hursh attended graduate school at UT, receiving an MA in Art History with a concentration in Modern and Contemporary Art and an MBA from the McCombs School of Business. He also holds a BFA in painting from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Artist Applications Opening Soon!

Cherrywood Art Fair artist

Applications for Chula League’s 15th annual Cherrywood Art Fair open July 15th, as in tomorrow! We are excited to see submissions of great photos with original, quality art and handmade goods. We’ve made some changes to our application, and have new categories to help you find your place better. Our apply page is full of information to help you with the application process. Here are key things to remember…

1. Take a deep breath, set aside some time to apply. There’s no need to rush, the jurors do not review your work until the application period has ended.
2. Read the apply page, the artist FAQ, AND the Terms. Each of those pages have information to help you submit a strong application.
3. Your photos are everything. The jurors rate your work based on the three images you submit, their category, and the caption (detailing the work). Individual product shots over booth shots are recommended. Be careful when using lifestyle shots, make sure your work stands out so the jurors know what they are judging.
Images should be under 1 MB with a minimum resolution of 133 ppi (pixels per inch)
Optimal size: 1000 x 1000 pixels or 1200 x 800 pixels saved as a maximum quality jpeg
4. Look over our new categories, there may be a change to the category you’ve applied in before:
3D ART (sculpture, wood, metal, etc.)
BEAUTY & SPA (soaps, skincare, candles, hair accessories, etc.)
CERAMICS & POTTERY
FINE ART (drawings & paintings in pencil, pastels, oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc.)
HOME GOODS (décor, frames, glasses, kitchen items, phone cases, planters)
JEWELRY
KIDS & PETS (toys, games, clothes / pet toys & accessories)
PHOTOGRAPHY (color, black & white, digital collage, etc.)
PRINTS & PAPER GOODS (card sets, journals, prints, comic books, posters)
TEXTILES & APPAREL (clothing, hats, bags, purses, belts, scarves, tapestries)
For those of you that sell work that fall into multiple categories, choose the category that dominates what you sell most. We do not penalize artists if they show work in their booth that wasn’t in their category, so long as it is their work and a majority of items in the booth are from the accepted category.
5. This year we have created a Facebook event page for the application period. We encourage you to post application questions there. If you’re not on Facebook, you can email us at: artists@cherrywoodartfair.org