My husband and I enjoyed what we discovered at Inliquid’s Art for the Cash Poor 13 at the Crane Arts Building, held Saturday and Sunday, June 9-10. The crowd was very mixed—from patrons young and old to families, friends, and neighbors. Booths were set up indoors and outdoors, featuring work from artists established and up-and-coming, in a range of mediums all priced at or below $199. As a recent college graduate, the event was right up my alley.
North Lawrence Midnight Singers’ alternative-folk rock tunes coursed through balmy air as we browsed the outdoor booths. Their laid-back melodies perfectly suited the slow, summer afternoon. While outside we met Alissa Laughlin of Upcycled Jewelry; her funky, one-of-a-kind creations are made from repurposed materials—fashionable, sustainable and clever. We loved this photo she snapped of two classy customers sporting her quirky designs.
Inside we fell for Daniel Ricardo Teran’s earthenware pottery. His attention to detail and meticulous use of the sgrafitto technique drew my eye immediately. As we chatted, his desire to bring the slowness of the handcrafted object into everyday life made him a favorite. His mission statement seemed to perfectly jibe with the aim of Art for the Cash Poor, that is, to make art accessible to everyone.
Another fast favorite was Brazilian-born photographer, Daniel Gafanhoto. His photographs encapsulate the emotion and sentiment of place and time. We were transfixed by a shot of his grandfather’s study; his love and affection for his grandfather is apparent in the close-view of disheveled books, papers, and notes stacked ceiling-high. We also loved his “Royal Portuguese Reading Chambers” (below). This Taj Mahal of reading rooms made us think of his pride in his Brazilian heritage and a quiet reminder of the grandeur of the physical book, perhaps lost in today’s world of Kindles, Nooks, and iPads.
Emily Squires Levine’s works in polymer clay were interesting as well. Using a cane technique, similar to that of glassblowers, Levine creates patterns after coloring her clays. We found the result appealing and really loved the level of detail present in each of her bold pieces.
Much to my pleasure, we ran into two of my former professors, Beverly Fisher and Penelope Rakov. As coincidence would have it, I happened to be wearing a pair of Penelope’s earrings that I picked up at the Art Star Craft Bazaar just a few weeks prior. Familiarity warmed me as we caught up— I was proud to see them out in the working world, and also humbled at the realization that, as a burgeoning artist myself, I am slowly entering their orbit and leaving my old one behind.
Art for the Cash Poor was a truly fun afternoon with respectable aims: to make accessible well-crafted works of art to everyone, while also making a block-party style weekend of it. The only thing I would recommend is going as early as you can. We got there around 2pm and were sad to find that we had missed the lunch trucks. If you missed it this year, be sure to mark your calendars when Art for the Cash Poor 14 rolls around. Who knows, maybe you’ll even run into me there.
