Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show fills Midwest Airlines Center Sept. 29 & 30

FOR TWO DAYS this month Milwaukee will be the center of the handcrafted furniture industry as the Midwest Airlines Center hosts the 2nd Annual Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show.

The Milwaukee show on Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday, Sept. 30, is patterned after a highly successful show held for the last 12 years in Providence, R.I.

This year, the producer of both shows has expanded the offerings from handcrafted furniture, decorative accessories and original art to contemporary fine craft through the acquisition of the Providence Craft Show.  This brings jewelry, wearables, art glass, ceramics and other fine craft items to the show in 2007.

More than 150 artisans from across North America will participate in the two-day Milwaukee show. In addition to the new fine craft participants, the show will have many new furniture makers.

Both fine furnishings shows are officially endorsed by The Furniture Society, a nonprofit organization supporting the creation of fine studio furniture produced in a small-shop environment, rather than a large factory.

Special attractions at the Milwaukee show include:

• Showcase rooms set up by members of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers to illustrate how handcrafted goods can be incorporated into homes.
  
  
• The Taliesin Bookstore, offering a variety of high-quality furniture, lighting, pottery, home furnishings, art objects and books designed or inspired by famed architect and Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright. All purchases will support the preservation of Wright’s Taliesin in Spring Grove, WI.
  
  
• Chester Book Company’s display of their CRAFTBOOKSTM, a highly respected source for those who create and collect fine craft items. 
  
  
• A mix of furniture, designed objects and fine art produced by students and alumni from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD).

In addition, Toni Sikes, founder and chief executive officer of The Guild, Inc. – one of the country’s leading online retailers of original art and fine craft items – will unveil her latest book, “The Artful Home: Using Art & Craft to Create Living Spaces You’ll Love.” Ms. Sikes will conduct a book signing session from 1-2 p.m. on Sept. 29.

Karla Little, president of KL Communications, Inc., conceived the Rhode Island show in 1996 and expanded to Milwaukee in 2006. She describes the show as a venue for artisans to meet with designers, decorators, collectors and the public to make direct sales, initiate
commissions and generate publicity about their work. All work must be produced in North America, originally designed, handcrafted and appropriate for home décor.

The show, which will occupy 30,000 square feet of the convention center at 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., is open from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., Sept. 29 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 30. Admission for adults is $10. For  additional information on participants and special announcements, visit www.finefurnishingsshow.com.