By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Local knit artists Jen Bremer and Rich McGeheran make a point to support local businesses and to buy local, so when the opportunity came to sell their own wares locally, they signed up.
This fall marks their fourth Nokomis Urban Craft and Art Fair, which is slated for Sat., Nov. 12, 9am-4pm, at the Nokomis Recreation Center, 2401 E. Minnehaha Pkwy.
“It is always exciting to see familiar faces and show off our latest offerings,” observed Bremer, who resides in Wenonah with her family.
“The Nokomis Spring Fair in 2015 was our very first fair. We chose it because we are a part of that community, and wanted to premiere our company and our products to our friends and neighbors.”
The fair started over 20 years ago and was renewed nine years ago. The fall sale became so popular that a spring Urban Craft Fair was added two years ago.
“Everything about this event is exciting,” stated Nokomis Park Recreation Supervisor Maggie Mercil.
“We have some amazing and talented crafters both locally from the Nokomis and Longfellow neighborhoods, as well as some that come from as far away as Cannon Falls. It is wonderful to hear from the community how much they enjoy this event—from the ability to find unique Christmas gifts in the fall for that special someone or just enjoying some locally made granola. There is not any part of this event that is not fun for everyone.”
Mercia became involved in the event five years ago when she began working as the Nokomis parks director. “It is hard to say which event is my favorite, ranging from our senior dinner that is put on every November, to the spring and fall Urban Craft Fairs, to the Monarch Festival,” she said. “I can say that the craft fair definitely helps me find nice gifts for those hard-to-find people.”
Table rental fees help support park preschool programs, art and pottery classes, as well as many other activities offered at the Nokomis Park. The park table at the fair will be showcasing all the local programs, such as Adult Drawing with Michael Russell and Dog Training with Jessica Kuehlman.
There will be over 40 vendors at the show.
Activities for children include putting together milkweed seed balls and making seed art to help promote monarch habitat. There will also be a scavenger hunt for both children and adults, with items and prizes for the hunt donated by the crafters.
Helping artists flourish
Flourish, a group of diverse Minnesota artisans, helps organize the event.
“The group’s purpose is to join together to present our talents and grow as artists, so we each can flourish in our respective crafts,” explained Nokomis East artist Mary E. Pow of MinneBites.
Bremer and McGerheran found Flourish at the first Nokomis Art Fair they participated in. “It started as a local Etsy sellers group, but has morphed into a local hand-crafted business group where members support other members in many ways,” Bremer stated.
“This group has been such a wonderful support system,” said Casey DePasquale of caseyd ceramics, who lives north of Lake Nokomis. “We hold monthly meetings where people can share tips about selling online and at local shows, we give each other feedback on our work, and we all support and encourage each other.”
In addition to the park staff and Flourish, individual crafters volunteer their time to make the event a success, pointed out Mercil. “They are involved in the planning, publicity, and the scavenger hunt, as well as set up and take down the day of the event. This event wouldn’t be possible without the help of the volunteers.”
MEET SOME ARTISTS
Jen Bremer and
Rich McGeheran
www.nokoknitco.com
Founded in 2015, Nokomis Knitting Company is a husband and wife team making handmade knitted, felted and stitched items sometimes using old-fashioned knitting needles.
Photo
right: Nokomis Knitting Company is a husband and wife team making
handmade knitted, felted and stitched items sometimes using
old-fashioned knitting needles. Much of the time, they use an
old-fashioned antique sock knitting machines originally manufactured in
the early 1900s. (Photo submitted)
Much of the time, they use a really old fashioned antique sock knitting machines originally manufactured in the early 1900s to make socks for the troops of WWI and WWII to prevent trench foot. They’ve restored the machines to make more than just socks and hope that others will like what they’ve been able to, literally, crank out.
Bremer and McGeheran reside on the east side of Lake Nokomis. Bremer works part-time at Steven Be’s, a local yarn and knitting studio, while McGeheran works in downtown Minneapolis at an advertising agency.
Both Bremer and McGeheran have always been creative and artsy people.
Photo
left: Jen Bremer of Nokomis Knitting Company doesn’t like making the
same thing twice. “The items I make using the machine challenge me to be
creative with, essentially, a knit tube,” she said. “Those tubes I have
managed to shape into hand and arm warmers, cowls, scarves, baby
blankets, bowls and even a sweater or two.” (Photo submitted)
Bremer’s grandmother taught her how to knit when she was 10 years old to keep her from scratching her chicken pox. Since then she has dabbled in clay, paint, glass, charcoal, and many other mediums but painting, shaping, and creating with yarn and fiber has become by far her favorite and most practiced medium.
McGeheran has been making and breaking things from a young age.
One Christmas McGeheran gave Bremer an antique circular knitting machine manufactured around 1920. It needed restoration, parts, and lots of TLC. They restored the than and started the process of learning how to use it.
McGerheran has been hooked on making socks ever since, and Bremer tries to see what she can make with the machine other than socks.
“I love to look at a ball or skein of yarn and try to figure out what type of sock it will make,” remarked McGerheran. “I have made really cool traditional Scandinavian socks with yarn from Arne and Carlos. I also really enjoy making custom socks. I had a few Minnesota Vikings fans ask for purple and gold socks—those were fun to make. Socks should not only make your feet feel good; they should express something about the person wearing them.”
“I have a problem in that I don’t like making the same thing twice, which is why it is good that Rich likes to make the socks,” stated Bremer. “Most of my hand knit items are one-of-a-kind which makes each piece interesting to me and unique to each buyer. The items I make using the machine challenge me to be creative with, essentially, a knit tube. I have managed to shape those tubes into hand and arm warmers, cowls, scarves, baby blankets, and even a sweater or two.”
The couple embraces and uses old tried-and-true methods, but is also very experimental. They try to use all natural materials and sometimes reclaimed, recycled wool.
“I have always had some form of art or creativity that has captured my attention,” said Bremer. “What inspires me to pick up the yarn, or the glass cutter, or the paint brush, or the needle and thread is the potential that those plain tools and materials can be turned into something new, something that did not exist before, something that I might not have even envisioned. Mystery and metamorphosis are what drive me to keep making.”
McGeheran is inspired by his wife, kids, and music. “I loving watching a crafts-person do their craft. Makers inspire me to make. There is not much better then taking a step back and looking at something you’ve made with your hands,” he stated.
At the sale, they will have handmade socks, wool dryer ball kits, beautiful and detailed hand-knit shawls and cowls, baby blankets and booties, fingerless mitts and arm warmers, felted bowls, and other new items still in development. Prices range from $8 to $180.
Curt Wright
rusticinspirations55@gmail.com
Curt Wright began making rustic furniture about 15 years ago. He and his wife built a log home on 20 acres in upstate New York. “We used to go to the shows in the Adirondacks and look at the different beautiful rustic works. I told my wife that I could do that, so that is when I started making rustic furniture,” Wright recalled. Using wood from his own property, he built all the furniture for their house.
Photo
left: Curt Wright began making rustic furniture about 15 years ago. “I
use burls and live edge wood to make something that is beautiful and
absolutely one of a kind,” said Wright. (Photo submitted)
“I enjoyed it so much that when our home was full, I began to design and build rustic tables, benches, and clocks,” said Wright.
He is now retired after 31 years working as a technician fixing gas pumps. He and his wife moved to Wenonah a year and a half ago, and he sells at several shows throughout the state of Minnesota each year. This will be his second Nokomis Art Fair. “I am most looking forward to meeting the people in my neighborhood and showing and selling my creations,” stated Wright.
When fashioning his unique items, Wright is inspired by the beautiful pieces of wood that he has collected over the years.
“I use burls and live edge wood to make something that is beautiful and one of a kind,” said Wright. He has his own wood supply and has either cut down and processed the wood himself or hand-picked it from other sources.
His specialty is rustic end tables. Prices range from $25 to $450.
Casey DePasquale
www.etsy.com/shop/caseydceramics
Casey DePasquale of caseyd ceramics lives just north of Lake Nokomis. Her studio is in the basement of her 108-year-old house.
She is currently firing pottery at Concordia University where she has access to electric, gas, and wood-fired kilns.
“I have always loved art, and wanted to be an artist and art teacher since I was just a kid,” said DePasquale. She earned a bachelor in fine arts in ceramics, but enjoyed studying all the visual arts while in college. For several years, she created murals and decorative painting which enabled her to travel a lot. Seven years ago, she landed in Minnesota.
“After starting a family and going a few years without using clay, I wanted to return to my true passion,” stated DePasquale. “The amount of incredible support for artists here in Minnesota made me hope that I can eventually work up to earning a living as an independent artist!”
Photo
right: Casey DePasquale’s ceramic studio is in the basement of her
108-year-old South Minneapolis house. She offers a line of functional
pottery for everyday use that incorporates her fine art ceramics
aesthetic. (Photo submitted)
She designed a line of functional pottery for everyday use that incorporates her fine art ceramics aesthetic. Her work is not thrown on the wheel but instead is hand-built using plaster mold forms. “I design each cup or bowl very carefully to be functional, comfortable, and beautiful. Then I make a plaster mold of my design, and when that is refined, I hand-work the clay into that form,” explained DePasquale. “This way each pot I make has an organic and unique texture, but still feels smooth and uniform in shape.”
DePasquale is currently helping Keewaydin Park start up an adult ceramics program, and “our classes are probably the most affordable way for beginners to get a chance to play with clay,” she said. The first class will be starting in January.
Everything DePasquale sells is functional and intended for daily use. She will have cups, mugs, fruit bowls, planters, and more at the Nokomis sale. Everything is microwave and dishwasher safe. She is hoping to debut a new line of coasters, priced at only $10 for folks looking to make a small purchase. Most of her work falls into the $20-50 range, and she offers discounts for purchases of multiple items.
Local knit artists Jen Bremer and Rich McGeheran make a point to support local businesses and to buy local, so when the opportunity came to sell their own wares locally, they signed up.
This fall marks their fourth Nokomis Urban Craft and Art Fair, which is slated for Sat., Nov. 12, 9am-4pm, at the Nokomis Recreation Center, 2401 E. Minnehaha Pkwy.
“It is always exciting to see familiar faces and show off our latest offerings,” observed Bremer, who resides in Wenonah with her family.
“The Nokomis Spring Fair in 2015 was our very first fair. We chose it because we are a part of that community, and wanted to premiere our company and our products to our friends and neighbors.”
The fair started over 20 years ago and was renewed nine years ago. The fall sale became so popular that a spring Urban Craft Fair was added two years ago.
“Everything about this event is exciting,” stated Nokomis Park Recreation Supervisor Maggie Mercil.
“We have some amazing and talented crafters both locally from the Nokomis and Longfellow neighborhoods, as well as some that come from as far away as Cannon Falls. It is wonderful to hear from the community how much they enjoy this event—from the ability to find unique Christmas gifts in the fall for that special someone or just enjoying some locally made granola. There is not any part of this event that is not fun for everyone.”
Mercia became involved in the event five years ago when she began working as the Nokomis parks director. “It is hard to say which event is my favorite, ranging from our senior dinner that is put on every November, to the spring and fall Urban Craft Fairs, to the Monarch Festival,” she said. “I can say that the craft fair definitely helps me find nice gifts for those hard-to-find people.”
Table rental fees help support park preschool programs, art and pottery classes, as well as many other activities offered at the Nokomis Park. The park table at the fair will be showcasing all the local programs, such as Adult Drawing with Michael Russell and Dog Training with Jessica Kuehlman.
There will be over 40 vendors at the show.
Activities for children include putting together milkweed seed balls and making seed art to help promote monarch habitat. There will also be a scavenger hunt for both children and adults, with items and prizes for the hunt donated by the crafters.
Helping artists flourish
Flourish, a group of diverse Minnesota artisans, helps organize the event.
“The group’s purpose is to join together to present our talents and grow as artists, so we each can flourish in our respective crafts,” explained Nokomis East artist Mary E. Pow of MinneBites.
Bremer and McGerheran found Flourish at the first Nokomis Art Fair they participated in. “It started as a local Etsy sellers group, but has morphed into a local hand-crafted business group where members support other members in many ways,” Bremer stated.
“This group has been such a wonderful support system,” said Casey DePasquale of caseyd ceramics, who lives north of Lake Nokomis. “We hold monthly meetings where people can share tips about selling online and at local shows, we give each other feedback on our work, and we all support and encourage each other.”
In addition to the park staff and Flourish, individual crafters volunteer their time to make the event a success, pointed out Mercil. “They are involved in the planning, publicity, and the scavenger hunt, as well as set up and take down the day of the event. This event wouldn’t be possible without the help of the volunteers.”
MEET SOME ARTISTS
Jen Bremer and
Rich McGeheran
www.nokoknitco.com
Founded in 2015, Nokomis Knitting Company is a husband and wife team making handmade knitted, felted and stitched items sometimes using old-fashioned knitting needles.
Photo
right: Nokomis Knitting Company is a husband and wife team making
handmade knitted, felted and stitched items sometimes using
old-fashioned knitting needles. Much of the time, they use an
old-fashioned antique sock knitting machines originally manufactured in
the early 1900s. (Photo submitted)Much of the time, they use a really old fashioned antique sock knitting machines originally manufactured in the early 1900s to make socks for the troops of WWI and WWII to prevent trench foot. They’ve restored the machines to make more than just socks and hope that others will like what they’ve been able to, literally, crank out.
Bremer and McGeheran reside on the east side of Lake Nokomis. Bremer works part-time at Steven Be’s, a local yarn and knitting studio, while McGeheran works in downtown Minneapolis at an advertising agency.
Both Bremer and McGeheran have always been creative and artsy people.
Photo
left: Jen Bremer of Nokomis Knitting Company doesn’t like making the
same thing twice. “The items I make using the machine challenge me to be
creative with, essentially, a knit tube,” she said. “Those tubes I have
managed to shape into hand and arm warmers, cowls, scarves, baby
blankets, bowls and even a sweater or two.” (Photo submitted)Bremer’s grandmother taught her how to knit when she was 10 years old to keep her from scratching her chicken pox. Since then she has dabbled in clay, paint, glass, charcoal, and many other mediums but painting, shaping, and creating with yarn and fiber has become by far her favorite and most practiced medium.
McGeheran has been making and breaking things from a young age.
One Christmas McGeheran gave Bremer an antique circular knitting machine manufactured around 1920. It needed restoration, parts, and lots of TLC. They restored the than and started the process of learning how to use it.
McGerheran has been hooked on making socks ever since, and Bremer tries to see what she can make with the machine other than socks.
“I love to look at a ball or skein of yarn and try to figure out what type of sock it will make,” remarked McGerheran. “I have made really cool traditional Scandinavian socks with yarn from Arne and Carlos. I also really enjoy making custom socks. I had a few Minnesota Vikings fans ask for purple and gold socks—those were fun to make. Socks should not only make your feet feel good; they should express something about the person wearing them.”
“I have a problem in that I don’t like making the same thing twice, which is why it is good that Rich likes to make the socks,” stated Bremer. “Most of my hand knit items are one-of-a-kind which makes each piece interesting to me and unique to each buyer. The items I make using the machine challenge me to be creative with, essentially, a knit tube. I have managed to shape those tubes into hand and arm warmers, cowls, scarves, baby blankets, and even a sweater or two.”
The couple embraces and uses old tried-and-true methods, but is also very experimental. They try to use all natural materials and sometimes reclaimed, recycled wool.
“I have always had some form of art or creativity that has captured my attention,” said Bremer. “What inspires me to pick up the yarn, or the glass cutter, or the paint brush, or the needle and thread is the potential that those plain tools and materials can be turned into something new, something that did not exist before, something that I might not have even envisioned. Mystery and metamorphosis are what drive me to keep making.”
McGeheran is inspired by his wife, kids, and music. “I loving watching a crafts-person do their craft. Makers inspire me to make. There is not much better then taking a step back and looking at something you’ve made with your hands,” he stated.
At the sale, they will have handmade socks, wool dryer ball kits, beautiful and detailed hand-knit shawls and cowls, baby blankets and booties, fingerless mitts and arm warmers, felted bowls, and other new items still in development. Prices range from $8 to $180.
Curt Wright
rusticinspirations55@gmail.com
Curt Wright began making rustic furniture about 15 years ago. He and his wife built a log home on 20 acres in upstate New York. “We used to go to the shows in the Adirondacks and look at the different beautiful rustic works. I told my wife that I could do that, so that is when I started making rustic furniture,” Wright recalled. Using wood from his own property, he built all the furniture for their house.
Photo
left: Curt Wright began making rustic furniture about 15 years ago. “I
use burls and live edge wood to make something that is beautiful and
absolutely one of a kind,” said Wright. (Photo submitted)“I enjoyed it so much that when our home was full, I began to design and build rustic tables, benches, and clocks,” said Wright.
He is now retired after 31 years working as a technician fixing gas pumps. He and his wife moved to Wenonah a year and a half ago, and he sells at several shows throughout the state of Minnesota each year. This will be his second Nokomis Art Fair. “I am most looking forward to meeting the people in my neighborhood and showing and selling my creations,” stated Wright.
When fashioning his unique items, Wright is inspired by the beautiful pieces of wood that he has collected over the years.
“I use burls and live edge wood to make something that is beautiful and one of a kind,” said Wright. He has his own wood supply and has either cut down and processed the wood himself or hand-picked it from other sources.
His specialty is rustic end tables. Prices range from $25 to $450.
Casey DePasquale
www.etsy.com/shop/caseydceramics
Casey DePasquale of caseyd ceramics lives just north of Lake Nokomis. Her studio is in the basement of her 108-year-old house.
She is currently firing pottery at Concordia University where she has access to electric, gas, and wood-fired kilns.
“I have always loved art, and wanted to be an artist and art teacher since I was just a kid,” said DePasquale. She earned a bachelor in fine arts in ceramics, but enjoyed studying all the visual arts while in college. For several years, she created murals and decorative painting which enabled her to travel a lot. Seven years ago, she landed in Minnesota.
“After starting a family and going a few years without using clay, I wanted to return to my true passion,” stated DePasquale. “The amount of incredible support for artists here in Minnesota made me hope that I can eventually work up to earning a living as an independent artist!”
Photo
right: Casey DePasquale’s ceramic studio is in the basement of her
108-year-old South Minneapolis house. She offers a line of functional
pottery for everyday use that incorporates her fine art ceramics
aesthetic. (Photo submitted)She designed a line of functional pottery for everyday use that incorporates her fine art ceramics aesthetic. Her work is not thrown on the wheel but instead is hand-built using plaster mold forms. “I design each cup or bowl very carefully to be functional, comfortable, and beautiful. Then I make a plaster mold of my design, and when that is refined, I hand-work the clay into that form,” explained DePasquale. “This way each pot I make has an organic and unique texture, but still feels smooth and uniform in shape.”
DePasquale is currently helping Keewaydin Park start up an adult ceramics program, and “our classes are probably the most affordable way for beginners to get a chance to play with clay,” she said. The first class will be starting in January.
Everything DePasquale sells is functional and intended for daily use. She will have cups, mugs, fruit bowls, planters, and more at the Nokomis sale. Everything is microwave and dishwasher safe. She is hoping to debut a new line of coasters, priced at only $10 for folks looking to make a small purchase. Most of her work falls into the $20-50 range, and she offers discounts for purchases of multiple items.
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