Getting Crafty

On Saturday, a group of students, artists and community members gathered in the Great Hall at Meadowdale High School to sell their work in at the third annual Mother’s Day Craft Bazaar.

Hosted by several groups at the school (the Arts & Humanities Club, the Photo Club, the Culinary Club, and the Parent Resource Group), the event started as a fundraiser for the Photography Club, which was experiencing a large budget deficit.

“The model for the event was a farmer's market, but using the Great Hall at MDHS, rather than a field or open area,” said teacher and artist Jill VanBerkom.

VanBerkom said she used to teach in Gig Harbor, where she helped coordinate the the Gig Harbor High School Tidefest, a giant sale and fundraiser for that school's ASB.

"I used many of the traditions to create a positive experience for all interested and involved parties--the kids, the parents, the community and especially the artists,” VanBerkom said.

Vendors at the Meadowdale High event included community members from both Lynwood and Edmonds, and there were a number of students showcasing their work as well. According to VanBerkom, the mix of student and professional work creates an atmosphere where students who are interested in an arts career can learn from the artists around them.

One vendor, Brenda Holton, works with her sisters at an interior design and staging firm called, fittingly enough, Sisters Interior Redesign. She was selling beautiful curly willow (which is great for table displays and décor accents) and had gotten involved in the event because of her daughter.

“My daughter is a junior here at MHS, and she is in the photography club,” Holton said. “She said to me, ‘Mom, you have to get involved in this event!’”

Soon, Holton was on board, selling willow pieces collected from her mother-in-law’s farm on Whidbey Island.

Aside from curly willow, there was a plethora of jewelry, yard art, handmade soaps, bags and satchels, as well as student photography for sale. All in time for Mother’s Day.

VanBerkom showed off her own artistic skills by doing a lampwork demo for students, in which she melted glass with a torch to make a glass bead.

"I love to show this technique to my students," VanBerkom wrote in an email. "Since this is not something I teach at MDHS, it's fun to share a little bit more about my passion and hobby with all.”