A Bay Area cultural treasure benefiting listener-sponsored KPFA 94.1fm, this juried event showcases over 200 booths presenting original work made by hand and exhibited by the people who make it. This December the fair moves back to the East Bay for the first time in 19 years.
The Craneway Pavilion, new location of our 44th annual event, is located at 1414 Harbour Way South, Marina District at Ford Point, Richmond, CA 94804. It is 10 minutes by car from Berkeley, 5 minutes from the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge. It’s accessible by public transit via BART (Richmond Station), Amtrak (same) and AC Transit. It sits on the pedestrian and bike-friendly Bay Trail. Originally a Ford Motor plant, it was transformed in WWII for thewar effort. The Craneway’s natural light is stunning. It has received numerous awards for its architecture after a major remodel into a showcase event venue. Its location on the waterfront and 180 degree views of the San Francisco Bay are breathtaking. On site is the Rosie the Riveter Museum and Assemble Restaurant which features fresh, local, seasonal fare and a full bar. The restaurant will stage a food concession area and bar inside the fair.
The Fair offers something for everyone, presenting the brightest talents in contemporary art and craft, highlighting both experienced and emerging designers who produce one-of-a-kind and limited edition goods in a wide variety of media. These artisans and craftspeople combine new and traditional techniques with modern design aesthetics to produce appealingly fresh and innovative work. All theartists will be present at the Craneway Pavilion to interact with guests and exhibit their own work, from outstanding wearable textiles to sophisticated ceramics, luminous glass and beadwork, innovative furniture, practical housewares, evocative photography, block-printed art, contemporary paper goods and affordable, exquisite jewelry.
KPFA Radio has a reputation for embracing diversity and supporting local communities through its programming. Similar principles of discernment apply in the selection process of exhibitors for the KPFA Crafts Fair. The fair prioritizes a high level of artisanship, of craftwork created in studio (the artist/exhibitor must have an active hand in the making of their work), while trying to represent as much variety as possible. Jan Etre has been an advocate of artists and craftspeople for 27 years. “Buying directly from the artist affords the opportunity of establishing a personalconnection. Buying from a store and not having any sense of whose hands helped create the item is more often than not a less meaningful experience. Interacting with artists and having a sense of the artist’s vision is rich; knowing where the materials came from is educational. To a certain extent mass produced goods are unavoidable and we understand that, but at the fair we celebrate the artisan and support his or her commitment to a life dedicated to creating unique arts and crafts.”
General parking will be free. Preferred parking will be $10. A bag and coat check will be available.
If you are interested in exhibiting your original art and/or craftwork, or are a non-profit organization or Fair Trader, visit www.kpfa.org/craftsfair to download the appropriate application under the Exhibitor Info tab.
For more information call 510-848-6767 ext. 646, or email [email protected]