The Uptown Art Fair annually selects a piece of art to commemorate the event. The work is transformed into a poster unveiled prior to the fair and incorporated into promotional materials and merchandise available to the over 375,000 fair attendees. Being named the Uptown Art Fair Commemorative Artist is a coveted honor accompanied by recognition from the public and abundant media exposure.
From August 7-9,2009, 360 professional artists, 40 youth artists, 25 performers, 20 food vendors and hundreds of Uptown businesses showed off their flair during the 46th Annual “Uptown Art Fair: A Fusion of Art, Flavor and Flair.”
Check back in the coming months for additional details regarding the 2010 Uptown Art Fair to be held August 6-8, 2010.
2009 ART FAIR GALLERIES
2D, 3D, Ceramics, Drawing, Fiber and Glass
Jewelry, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture, and Wood
LOCATION
Jewelry, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture, and Wood
The Uptown Art Fair is hosted along Hennepin Avenue and The Mall (a parkway) in the heart of Uptown Minneapolis. Artists line Hennepin Avenue from 28th Street to 31st Street, and along The Mall from Hennepin Avenue to Lake Calhoun. The park-like setting of The Mall offers a stark contrast from the hustle and bustle along Hennepin Avenue's business district.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The Uptown Art Fair is the winner of over 70 International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) Pinnacle Awards. The Pinnacles recognize the highest quality in promotional programs and materials produced by IFEA’s more than 3,000 member festivals and events around the world. They are the most prestigious awards in the special events industry. Art Fair Sourcebook listed the 2007 Uptown Art Fair as 8th in the nation. The Harris Guide ranked it the #1 Art Fair in Minnesota.
ATTENDANCE
An average of 375,000 people attend annually, making the Art Fair #2 in statewide event attendance, second only to the Minnesota State Fair.
UPTOWN FUSION | LONNIE BRODEN
Lonnie Broden grew up on a farm near Murdock, MN where she began painting at a young age. She earned a Bachlor of Arts degree in painting from the Uof M – Morris and then went on to Berkeley, where she began her exhibition design career at the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Lonnie has taught exhibit design and environmental graphic design classes at the Uof M and runs her own art and design business – Lonnie Broden Design. She also consults with the Science Museum of MN, after many years of serving as their head of exhibit design.
Lonnie Broden finds inspiration in all kinds of Minnesota setting like rusting machines and peeling paint right next to shiny metal and neon lights. Uptown Fusion is a 2-D mixed media print that combines painting and photography that captures the rustic sign from the historical Uptown Theatre, combined with images of the farmer’s market. It also chronicles the years the fair as been in existence.
Commemorative prints can also be purchased at Calhoun Beach Framing, 4959 Penn Ave. S. 612-920-5979. A $35 Uptown Art Fair discount is available with each purchase towards a custom framed print.