It’s the end of Summer Tradition. The Thumb Arts Guild’s Annual Juried Art Fair occurs each Labor Day weekend at Gallup Park in Port Austin. It’s a chance to indulge in a variety of outstanding artwork by local and statewide artisans. You name it pottery, weavings, paintings, photography, jewelry, wooden bowls, stained and fused glass, yard art, fiber woven artwork abounds.
The show hosts over 50 artists from down the street and the Port Austin Gallery’s and throughout Michigan will display and sell their works. It’s a chance to get ideas and install a local artsy flare into your own cottage or home. There is live entertainment, food, and snacks, and kid activities throughout this two-day event Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
About the Thumb Area Arts Guild
The Thumb Arts Guild is a non-profit organization, established in June of 2001. Members include artists and supporters of the arts throughout Huron County, Michigan. The group pride itself on being able to sponsor and support opportunities to showcase the creativity that abounds in the Upper Thumb area.
Their success as an organization is shown by growth from twenty-four original members to our current membership of over eighty! The mission of the Thumb Arts Guild is “the enrichment of life through active promotion and encouragement of art-making and the appreciation of all phases of the arts.”
The Port Austin Art in the Park Event is the highlight of the last days of summer in the Upper Thumb.
The Gallery’s in Port Austin and Upper Thumb
The Upper Thumb now has three galleries, in Bad Axe the Lofty Roots Gallery and Studio opened in 2015 with six local artists exhibiting. While Grindstone City’s White Church Gallery draws in artists from all over Michigan and the United States. Founded by Mike and Carrie Zaitz in a renovated 1800’s church. In Port Austin, the Cove Gallery is right off Lake Street next to the Farmers Market. The Cove Gallery exhibits over 55+ Michigan artists, a majority from the Thumb region.
Related Reading and Exploring
- Port Austin is the home to Emergency Arc – You may not even notice it at first. Your driving along a country road enjoying the sites of grazing animals, crops emerging and fields broken by wind breaks provided by trees planted long ago. Then you spot it. The Ark of of Scott Hockings larger than life creations.
- Neat Things to Do in Port Austin – Port Austin Michigan is the Art and Cultural Center of the region with its galleries, Studio Tour Weekend, Labor Day’s Art in the Park, and yearly Porch Concerts. But there is much more to see and do at the tip of the Thumb. If you need ideas for places to see and things to do we have some suggestions for just about every taste.
- 12 Free Ideas to Explore in Michigan’s Upper Thumb – If you are ever at a loss for things to do in Michigan’s Upper Thumb, you found the right spot. We went looking for a dozen neat and interesting things to do and came up with this list of free things to do in Michigan’s Thumb. Check back with us from time to time as we will find more fun down the road.
- How Art, Kayaking and a Farm Market Saved Port Austin – The town at the tip of the Thumb has taken a different approach; offer the community has a destination for the entire summer season. The 4th of July weekend in 2005 Port Austin Farmer’s Market debuted with just over 50 vendors. Now with over a dozen years in operation, Port Austin claims one of the largest outdoor markets in Michigan.
