'Something for everybody's tastes': 130+ artists pack Deer District for Morning Glory fair

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Whether it's made from glass, ink, wood or oil, just about every type of art one could imagine was on display this weekend outside Fiserv Forum.

The 48th annual Morning Glory Art Fair attracted more than 135 creators from all over the U.S. The artists were selected out of hundreds who applied for a space.

Local artists, such as Charlotte Fung Miller of Mukwonago, said the hope the sight of so many talented makers would boost the arts scene in Southeast Wisconsin.

"This is amazing because I go all over the country to do art shows, and this is one of the few I do in the Milwaukee area because there's not enough art fairs," she said.

Much like their creations, everyone occupying a space at the fair has a unique story to tell. Carolyn and Leonard Wilson from McHenry, IL said they've been married for 56 years.

For about 40 of those years, they've been creating and selling stained glass artwork. Carolyn said it began when Leonard came home with a broken stained-glass panel.

"He paid $15, and when he came home, I said, '$15 and it's broken, and that's a lot of money!'" Carolyn said. "And it was a lot of money at that time."

Leonard repaired that panel, and the rest is history. This weekend, they offered a variety of both stained and fused-glass creations.

Brian McKelvey's caricatures of famous bars in different U.S. cities covered all of the walls in his tent. The St. John's, MI native began drawing streetscapes of Michigan tourist towns, but soon realized he had a hit with college towns.

"Everyone liked it in East Lansing," McKelvey said. "So then I went on to do all the Big Ten schools."

McKelvey's 'Pubs of..." business has gone on to make brewery and bar sketches for major U.S. cities, too. His Morning Glory display prominently featured the Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay caricatures.

"That's probably the highlight; is when we see people come in, and I'll see some people come in with kind of a down look on their face, and they'll pick up a print and they just light up," McKelvey said. "Because they're like, 'oh you got this place!'"

Evoking emotions, or just seeing a new technique is enough to keep longtime artists eager and on the trail.

"It keeps us energized to create new things because if you want to stay in business, I guess you gotta come up with new ideas," Carolyn Wilson said.

For those browsing the various types of art, it could almost be overwhelming. That included Haley Gregorio, who said she didn't even know about the fair, but made a point to come Sunday after walking past the tents Saturday.

After all, she needed a few things for her new digs.

"We actually just moved down here, so I was in between apartments, and we need more art for the walls," Gregorio said. "So, I've been looking around, trying to find pieces that might fit with our space."

Both shoppers and artists said the appeal of large-scale fairs like Morning Glory is the variety, whether it's finding something they've never seen before or a creation that feels just right.

"I really think there'd be something for everybody's tastes," Gregorio said.