Author Archives: Margaret Johnson

Local rock band Keokuk is bound to be a crowd favorite at the fair next weekend. Their songs are groovy, high energy, and most importantly- originals. Lead singer and guitar player for the group, Curtis Hendricks, is not afraid to tell it like it really is in his lyrics. The songs of the group reflect on the journey of everyday life- both the good parts and the bad. This four piece features a mother… Read More

Every year, the Historic Shaw Art Fair welcomes 135 talented, award-winning artists to the grounds. Though the fair could not be more proud of this overwhelming artistic talent, the art fair is not ONLY for visual artists! Multiple gifted music groups perform at the fair as well, adding to the atmosphere and providing authentic entertainment. One band that the fair is extremely excited to have performing this year is none other than Bach… Read More

The Historic Shaw Art Fair is extremely proud to announce that award-winning film photographer Bill Lemke will be in attendance again year. Bill has regularly participated in art fairs for over 40 years now, including the the Shaw Art Fair for the last 10. The artist shared, “I have always enjoyed the community feeling of this art fair; the neighborhood setting as well as the tremendous support from the local community.” Because Bill… Read More

Giving back to the community has, is, and always will be a major priority for the Shaw Neighborhood Improvement Association. Each year, a large sum of money collected from the ticket sales for the Shaw Art Fair is used to support service organizations within the neighborhood. These are known as Shaw’s Helping Hands Grants. These grants are awarded to local non-profits, helping them to further their mission and create positive outcomes for community members. Read More

Every year, the Shaw Neighborhood Improvement Association works tirelessly to ensure the success of the Shaw Art Fair. The Shaw neighborhood hosts approximately 135 professional, award-winning artists at this event, as well as local music groups and food vendors. How has Shaw managed to bring this large event to fruition for 25 years in a row? Well- there is a simple answer to that. The Historic Shaw Art Fair would not be possible… Read More

Karen Gelbard, also known as The Oregon Weaver, not only has talent in the world of visual arts, but in the music realm as well. Karen played the violin throughout her elementary and high school years. Her school had a strong music program with talented teachers that greatly helped to cultivate Karen’s skills. “One lesson I learned was that it is not just about playing the notes. Technique and skill are required to… Read More

Kaeko Maehata has had a strong artistic instinct since she was a child. She started out drawing and creating with her hands, and continued to develop professionally as an artist at Kanazawa Art College in her native country of Japan. The artist has experience painting, sculpting, sawing, weaving, beading, and much, much more. There is one art form, however, keeps Kaeko continuously captivated- glass. Kaeko has called herself a glass artist since 1992. “Glass… Read More

“There is an inherent beauty in nature. Someone has gone far out of their way to make things attractive- the creator of the universe. When we try to channel that creativity, it opens up a lot of doors.” The inspiration of artist Salem Barker comes from the world around him. Experiencing the intricacies and splendor of nature allows Salem to create pieces that demand attention at each and every one of the 14 to… Read More

When asked how she first peaked an interest in art, Olive Kraus laughed and replied, “I was born!” Olive comes from an artistic background, starting with her parents who first met in art school in the 60’s. Needless to say, Olive was immersed into an innately artistic environment from the beginning; so it is easy to see the origins of Olive’s abilities and passion to create. Rather than sticking to one medium, Olive continuously… Read More

Attention all! The 2016 Historic Shaw Art Fair is just around the corner. When planning out your “must see” attractions at the fair, make sure you remember that WirePilots will be included in the music lineup! This Contemporary Jazz trio performs original tunes by written by their guitarist Dan Rubright, along with a few crowd-pleasing covers from time to time. Jazz lovers will not be able to resist this authentic sound brought to you… Read More