No one can deny that Belle Isle is a gem to Detroit year-round, but the Belle Isle Art Fair is a time when it really shines.
The annual event returns August 3-4, offering art activities for all ages and welcoming some of Detroit’s best creative minds alongside artists from across the country.
Artists will gather around Belle Isle’s James Scott Memorial Fountain to offer work ranging from under $20 to over $10,000 in various mediums, including painting, printmaking, woodworking, metalwork, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, and more.
“There’s really nothing more iconically Detroit than a sunny summer day on Belle Isle,” the art fair’s director Mark Loeb said in a press release. “The Belle Isle Art Fair is a perfect way to revisit and enjoy Belle Isle, to meet and learn from artists in person, purchase their work and express your own creativity through art projects and wonderful music, not to mention enjoy all the activities the beautiful island has to offer.”
This year’s Belle Isle Art Fair poster was created by Detroit-area artist Ashley Menth, who won last year’s first Belle Isle Poster Contest. Menth is known for her hyper-colorful, impressionistic landscapes, especially those of Belle Isle. Her vision of Belle Isle’s McArthur Bridge against a pink sky won the contest, and 50 signed and numbered copies of the poster will be available at the festival.
The artist will also be displaying original artwork and additional prints for sale.
A new addition to this year’s fair is the Secret Art Garden — an opportunity to relax in Adirondack chairs, see art, and learn how to engage with the outdoors. The area will feature programs on birding, beekeeping, and the beauty of urban trees, with participants including The USDA Forest Service, Belle Isle Nature Center, Detroit Bird Alliance, Detroit Parks and Recreation, Michigan Wildflower Farm, Detroit Wildflower Nursery, and the Detroit Food Co-op.
Another special highlight of this year’s event is the Heritage Artist Tent, which will host well-known Detroit-area artists who have “long-standing stellar reputations and do not often participate in art fairs,” according to a press release.
Notable artists participating in this year’s art fair include Charlene Uresy, who paints colorful designs based on African symbols on reclaimed furniture, and Donald Calloway, known in Detroit for his vibrant masks and sculptures. Renowned jewelry artist Milton Bennett will also be present, along with Jimmy King, known for wearable African-inspired textiles.
The Belle Isle Art Fair also partners with an array of local organizations to offer hands-on art for people of all ages. Activities include paper mosaic art projects with the DIA, quick-drying clay with the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, animal art with The Detroit Zoo, and book giveaways from The Detroit Public Library. Plus, the Mint Artists Guild will feature the work of young emerging artists from metro Detroit for sale and offer more hands-on art activities.
The festival will also feature food trucks and booths, as well as musicians performing throughout the fair. Performances include folk rock artist Mark Reitenga, and Vladimir Gorodkin, who plays the Tsimbali, a string instrument similar to an autoharp from his native country Ukraine.
The Belle Isle Art Fair will run from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission and parking is free. A Michigan State Park pass is required to enter Belle Isle and can be purchased for $11.
For more information, see belleisleartfair.com.
