By Matthew Bizoe
Krasl Art Center
Krasl Art Center (KAC) will host the 2021 Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff in person on Saturday, July 10, and Sunday, July 11. Safety precautions will be in place to keep the vibrant community of artists, patrons, and event supporters safe in ever-changing times.
In 1962, a small handful of local artists held a clothesline art exhibition along scenic Lake Bluff Park in St. Joseph. Those artists then formed the St. Joseph Art Association which, in 1979, through the beneficence of George and Olga Krasl, built Krasl Art Center. Over the years, the fair became one of the top-ranked juried art fairs in the nation and grew to become one of the peak summer events in southwest Michigan. When the COVID-19 Pandemic took hold in 2020, the fair paused for the safety of the 50,000 visitors, 200 artists, 500+ community volunteers, and our local neighbors.
“We are grateful to the community for their many years of support for this beloved event,’ KAC Executive Director Julia Gourley Donohue. From considering plans for 2021 to approval, and now as we finalize how to implement plans, we remain fortunate to have the leadership of many volunteers who will help ensure a successful and safe event this year. The new, advance timed ticketing plan will enable us to keep crowd sizes down for safety and in accordance with Executive Orders. Admission fees support expenses associated with planning the Art Fair and Krasl Art Center’s year-round free to all gallery and outdoor sculpture exhibitions. We can’t wait to see our masked-up patrons once again shopping with living, working artists at the Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff.”
What to expect for the 2021 Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff:
All guests are asked to secure a timed ticket in advance.
Tickets are $5 per person age 2 and older and free for those under 2. Tickets will be available online mid-May.
To manage attendance size, a limited number of timed tickets will be available for each time slot.
Gated event. Lake Bluff Park will be gated to the north and to the south of Broad Street.
Cloth or paper masks are required for all guests, volunteers, artists, and KAC staff age 2 and up.
Increased hand sanitizing stations.
Artist vendors only (In lieu of a food court, guests are encouraged to explore local restaurants in downtown Benton Harbor and St. Joseph during their visit).
Stay up-to-date on decisions for this year’s event and learn other ways you can volunteer by signing up for email updates at krasl.org/art-fair/event-information/
