The Twin Ports area has long been a haven for artists and creative projects. On February 7, Superior Public Library plans to continue that tradition with the annual Love Your Local Artist event. Leslie Mehle, Manager of Library Programs, says that the 15-year-old event is as strong as ever.
"What it started was a collaboration between the library and the friends of the library, which is our volunteer fundraising group that do the book sales and all sorts of other activities," said Mehle. "The fundraiser supports their work. They provide the refreshments, they do a lot of the setup... and then we get the artists... It's a great collaboration."
While its largely a collection of visual artists, there are a variety tactile artists as well. One artist whose has been at the event since the beginning, Twin Ports staple John Thompson, creates wooden trees from salvaged wood. The event also provides up-and-coming artists a platform to show their projects.
"It's great to see younger artists come out," said Mehle. "It's a really fun event for artists that are looking for opportunities that maybe aren't sure where to start and it doesn't cost a lot of money to participate. It's a good way to get started in the art community."
Love Your Local Artist kicks off on Friday, Feb. 7 at 5:30pm at the Superior Public Library.
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