Attention Ikea shoppers: You have other options. Milwaukee understands that your desire for style parallels your need for affordability when it comes to interior design, and that's why the city has secured yet another Fine Furnishings show to present a marketplace for the finest in handcrafted furniture, decorative accessories, original art and contemporary fine craft.
The Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show returns to Milwaukee Oct. 1-3, for its fifth annual showcase of goods. And for the first time, the event is being held at The Garage at the Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 W. Canal St.
The show features handcrafted furniture, furnishings, fine art and crafts for sale, order or commission from approximately 75 exhibitors from across North America. While almost half of the exhibitors are talented Wisconsin residents, the show also features exceptional artisans from Illinois, Michigan, California, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Vermont.
The Chicago Furniture Designers Association (CFDA) will have an added presence again this year. CFDA is a professional organization of Chicago area furniture designers, industrial designers, studio furniture makers, architects, educators and metal artists that "promotes the art and the craft of creative furniture design." The show will feature six booths with over a dozen CFDA members adding to the regional mix of talent.
This year 16 CFDA members are participating as part of a 400-sq.-ft. collaborative booth exhibition - nine are returning from last year and seven are new to the show. In addition, 3 CFDA exhibitors from the 2009 show will have their own booths, including S. Lloyd Natof, Frank Lloyd Wright's great grandson).
The show also welcomes the return of Sawbridge Studios - the country's most comprehensive retail store for handcrafted American furniture and accessories, based in downtown Chicago.
Traditional, modern and everything in between, attendees will find products in numerous styles made from a variety of materials - from ‘Green to Greene + Greene.' Exhibitors will educate visitors on resources such as urban wood, recycled materials and live edge products; they will tell the unique story behind the design and the journey of the materials used to bring each design alive. In addition, they will learn how craftsmen master different styles of architecture and furniture such as Gallenberg Studios portfolio of ‘Greene + Greene' work.
The event runs Friday, 4-8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 and $15 for a two-day pass. Children under 12 free.
