Glen Lake Woman’s Club Art Fair marks 50 years plus 1
From staff reports
This year marks the 51st annual Glen Lake Woman’s Club Art Fair, a juried Art Fair with artists carefully selected to represent a wide variety of one-of-a-kind art pieces for sale at the Glen Arbor Township Hall. The Art Fair—to be held at the Glen Arbor Township Hall on Wednesday, July 19, from 10 am to 4 pm—features artisans in many mediums including pottery, painting, textiles, woodworking, and jewelry. Each year, thousands of people shop for that unique piece of art, either for themselves or for a special gift.
“I am involved in the Glen Lake Woman’s Club Art Fair because of the high-quality art provided by the juried vendors during such a fun day for the entire community,” said Art Fair co-chair Meg DeJager. “With free admission, the vendors offer a wide variety of styles and price points for every shopper.”
Ruthy Bolton, co-chair of the Art Fair, volunteers for this special event because the Art Fair provides scholarships for Glen Lake High School students as they continue their education at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) in Traverse City.
DeJager also noted that vendor booth rentals, popcorn and bake sales, lunch, Club jewelry booth, and auction items all provide funds for the student scholarship fund. The Art Fair is a popular event in the community, often making this the busiest day of the year in Glen Arbor. Many shoppers return to visit the booths of their favorite artists or to explore the artwork of new vendors. Dozens of Glen Lake Woman’s Club members, supported by family friends and members of the Empire Lions Club all volunteer to make sure the day runs smoothly for both vendors and community members.
Since 1980, the Glen Lake Woman’s Club has awarded $307,110 to 240 students with both first, second, and third-year scholarships to NMC. The scholarships are announced at the Glen Lake High School Honors Night in May.
Dr. Andrew Gutzka, a past recipient of the Glen Lake Woman’s Club Glen Lake High School scholarship, recently contacted the Club with the following message: “I wanted to reach out and thank you for all that you do for our community and thank you for the impact your scholarships had on my life and now my professional career. Your scholarships awarded to me out of high school really made a big difference my first two years of undergrad at NMC. Money was very tight for me and having those allowed me to work less and study more which enabled me to get good grades that helped me get accepted into my grad program. I am now practicing dentistry in Traverse City and am very happy in my career and happy to be back home. Thank you all for your selfless and continued support of our Glen Lake community. Organizations like yours make communities strong.”
The Glen Lake Woman’s Club, a 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1937 with the goal of fostering social, civic, and education projects. The charter members adopted as their slogan, “If you wish to live in a better place, better the place in which you live.”
For more information about the Glen Lake Woman’s Club, the Art Fair, or the scholarship program, visit GlenLakeWomansClub.org or check out the Glen Lake Woman’s Club Art Fair Facebook page.
