Nick Wilson/Daily Mining Gazette Local artists and crafts people gathered at the Houghton High School gym on Saturday as part of the 15th annual Keweenaw Art Affair, which returned after missing last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

HOUGHTON — The 15th annual Keweenaw Art Affair returned this Saturday, with 40 local artists and craft persons congregating in the Houghton High School gym to sell their work.

After missing 2020, the event returned with a diverse selection of arts and crafts, and a strong showing from holiday shoppers.

“From what I’ve seen, the sales are going really well,” said Keweenaw Art Affair Chairperson Ronda Bogan as she tended to her own booth offering a variety of holiday wreaths. “People are buying and that’s great.”

Another vendor, Amy Forsell of 47 Degrees North, also reported strong sales for her handmade jewelry.

“It’s a really good show with a very good turnout,” she said. “People are friendly and in a good mood. I always look forward to this show.”

Forsell said that the inspiration for her embroidered jewelry items, many of which contain local stones, comes from the natural beauty of the area.

“Living in this area, there’s so much natural beauty that I get a lot of my inspiration from just everyday driving to work,” she said. “I love using natural materials as a springboard for some of the inspiration.”

Forsell was also excited to see the work of fellow local artists.

“I like to be set up early so I can go around and shop,” she confided. “There’s so many creative people in this area. It’s neat to see how people express it.”

Second year event attendee Melissa Brady of Three Sisters Farm and Forest was also doing brisk business at her booth. The family-owned business makes bees wax products including candles and lotions.

“I make everything in my kitchen,” Brady explained. “I get local wax from beekeepers and I take it home and filter and clean it.”

Brady was also selling a beeswax-based food wrap, a washable alternative to Saran wrap or plastic bags.

“You wash it in your sink just like you can wash your plate,” Brady explained. “You can use it on everything in your kitchen that you would Saran wrap. It’s just an easy way to get away from single-use plastic.”

At a nearby booth, Patty Urbanski of Hole in The Wall Gallery displayed a collection of photographs taken by her late husband, Dan Urbanski, who passed away in 2004.

All of the images were captured with film prior to digital cameras, and developed and printed using a darkroom by the photographer himself. Many of the photographs on display depicted the rugged landscape of Isle Royale National Park, where Dan Urbanski served as artist in residence in 1992.

“While he was there, he took this Northern Lights picture, and the National Park Service made a poster out of that,” Patty Urbanski said, pointing out a photo of a vividly green northern lights display. “This is all that I have of the inventory leftover from his archive.”

Across the gymnasium, watercolorist Donna Leonard was painting in front of a display of note cards, magnets, bookmarks, and pictures.

“Every show I do I always come out and paint,” she said. “The kids love to watch.”

Leonard is a self-trained artist who has been painting with watercolors for 20 years and attending the Keweenaw Art Affair for 10.

“There’s so many different things you can do with watercolors and I think that’s what I love about it,” she said, demonstrating how a light sprinkling of table salt across the drying surface of her painting created the impression of shimmering snowflakes.

“If you have the passion to do a little something you love a little bit every day, it’s amazing. Just a couple years makes a big difference,” she said.

The event was also attended by a few non-profit groups including the Friends of Porkies. The group’s booth displayed art created by its artists in residence, and offered stickers, water bottles and other items for sale along with information about the organization’s mission and work.

In addition to these vendors, the Keweenaw Art Affair featured pottery, knitted items, soaps, woodworking products, chocolates, and much more. The event remained busy with shoppers into the afternoon.

Profits generated by vendor fees are donated to local schools to support arts programs.