Vendors show off their creative talents at Holiday Trade Fair in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD – The Holiday Trade Fair overcame an unfortunately timed snowstorm Saturday to post a good turnout at the two-day vendor exhibition, now in its 16th year.

The event is put on by Fairfield First Fridays Art Walk in the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center’s expo hall. Art Walk Executive Director Marla Brader said that, because this event is hold on a Friday and Saturday, many out-of-town vendors rent an Airbnb Friday night. That meant Saturday morning’s flurries didn’t dampen their spirits, since nearly all the vendors who signed up were able to set up by 9 a.m. that day. Brader said only a few vendors, who commuted to Fairfield that morning, had to delay their start time.

“The vendors are fabulous,” Brader said. “Even with the weather this morning, everybody was in a good mood.”

The Union caught up with a few vendors to talk about their crafts, which for many begin as a hobby that blossoms into a business.

LINDA NIEBES-RUTHERFORD

Linda Niebes-Rutherford is a glass artist who founded the business Fusion Junction five years ago. She went south for the winter, going to Tucson, Arizona, where she attended a class on glass making. She enjoyed it so much that, upon her return, she purchased a kiln and all the supplies to begin making her own decorative glassware.

At her booth, Niebes-Rutherford showed off the colorful jewelry she’s made such as necklaces. She’s also made suncatchers, bowls, bases, and solar lights in bottles. She estimates that she spends about three hours per week on this hobby, and that her favorite part of the process is seeing the end product.

Niebes-Rutherford said that the trade fair was busy Saturday despite the inclement weather. She normally sells her glassware at fairs and big gatherings such as Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids. After speaking with a vendor in an adjacent Booth, Niebes-Rutherford got some advice about creating her own website, which she plans to do. For now, potential customers can reach her via email at lniebes@yahoo.com.

MARK WILKINS

Mark Wilkins has enjoyed working with clay for more than four decades. He founded Winter Moon Pottery in 1985, which grew into a fulltime career and has now settled into a part-time occupation, allowing Mark to share his talents as a pottery teacher at Maharishi School.

Wilkins makes 30 different shapes of dinnerware including plates, bowls, mugs, teapots, pitchers and more. For the holiday trade fair, he was joined by apprentice Bea Winn, who has been working alongside him for three years. She said Wilkins has taught her how to make glazes, how to recycle clay, and how to mold the clay into different shapes. She said she hopes to have a career in pottery, too.

Those interested in learning more about Wilkins’ pottery can reach him via phone at 641-919-6064.

LAWRENCE EYRE

Lawrence Eyre set up a booth to advertise his three books full of haiku poems. Haiku refers to a style of Japanese poetry with a specific number of syllables in three lines: five in the first, seven in the second and five in the third. Eyre said he learned about this style of poetry in third grade, and forgot about it for 60 years until 2017 when he started having fun with them again, writing down these little aphorisms and observations that followed haiku’s strict meter.

“Some people do Sudoku in the newspaper, and I decided to do haiku,” Eyre explained. “I still don’t know why. I started to play with them, posting them on Facebook or Instagram, and I’ve been doing it nonstop ever since.”

Eyre published his first collection of haiku poems in a book called “Heartland Haiku” in 2019, followed by “Haiku Country” in 2020 and most recently “Haiku Americana” earlier this year. His favorite subject to write about is the heartland and celebrating life in this part of the country.

An example of one of Eyre’s poems he shared with The Union was:

The year is old the

Sun swings low but the full moon

Shines bright as ever

Those who’d like to check out Eyre’s latest collection of poems, “Haiku Americana,” can find it on barnesandnoble.com.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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