The Art, Book and Craft Fair was held on Dec. 4 in the Oakland Center. The fair was held indoors to help students stay away from the cold December winds that foretold snow.
Vendors lined up before the main hallway and dining area to sell holiday goodies for students to enjoy. Tables were lined with a wide range of products of all kinds to be offered as gifts, such as pins, handmade and decorated picture frames, hats and beanies, jewelry and more.
Sellers that were present had a range of being student clubs looking to fundraise, or small businesses looking to just sell a few things to students before finals week.
Self-published books, custom-made jewelry and handmade scented candles were some of the creative souvenirs available to promote small businesses and local artists.
Three executives of the Meadow Brook Ball fundraising committee, Lydianna Roshan, Mackenzie McKean and Maggie Quinn were present at the fair. “We are selling Christmas crafts to raise money for the Meadow Brook Ball that we will be running. And I believe tickets go on sale in January,” Quinn said. “Yes, and the ball is in March. It’s on March 28,” Roshan said.
“Since 1974 the Meadow Brook Ball Committee (MBBC) has hosted a ball in Meadow Brook Hall providing students with a night of food, dancing, entertainment and lifelong memories,” the MMBC website says.
“We have sold a few of our bigger items, which is really good,” McKean said when asked about the success of the fair stand that sold ornaments, frames and quilts.
In order to organize such an event, fundraising efforts will continue. “[This is the] final one before the holidays, but we will try to do some, like, more before the ball in March,” McKean said.
“We are excited to be here at OU, this is our second year and Dutton Farm is a local non-profit here in Rochester and we support adults with developmental disabilities,” Kim Stocker said. “We make candles, and everything is very natural and it’s a way to give back to the community by employing some of our participants.”
Other attendees of the fair milled about each stand, asking questions about the products. “Well, it is really, really cool. I have been looking for nice gifts for my friends and family for Christmas, and so that’s really cool, all of these unique gifts versus something from like a store,” OU student Josh Kilpela said when buying fabric patches.
“Yeah, that’s awesome. I’m really glad to be supporting something like that,” Kilpela said when notified that some stands were collecting funds for Oakland University’s future events and clubs.
“In 2015, I watched some Bob Ross’s video on YouTube and then a flip was switched in my brain and all of a sudden all the things that I wanted to paint I could finally make,” Tina Barr, a vendor of miniature paints, said. “Ever since then, I’ve just been traveling to different conventions and craft shows and talking to people about art and just getting immersed in the whole art culture.”
With the closing year, social media and new DIY trends have re-ignited an appreciation for handmade gifts. Even something as small as collaging pictures or creating a customized ornament or hat can show that a friend is in your thoughts throughout the holidays. The fair, though not continuously busy due to the upcoming exam week, was a success for early shoppers and for many stands that had run out of selected items by 2 p.m.
