Skilled artisans who have spent countless hours learning their trades will be plying their fine-crafted wares at the Manning Made Artisan Fair on Sunday June 2 in Taree.
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The fair is a collection of more than 40 curated stallholders selling their goods, with some giving demonstrations of their skills.
"Curated in the sense that it's not just general market stall people who can ring up and book a stall," Vivienne Scott of Wingham Spinners and Craft Group said. "It's by invitation only."
A requirement of stallholders' inclusion was that they must be from the MidCoast region, so the event is a chance for local artisans to display and sell their work.
"Their will be an incredible range of stuff. It's a wonderful mix," Vivienne said.
It's a huge cross section of work that people do, and they're all passionate about what they do and it reflects in their work - it's high quality. That's why the use of the word artisans.
- Vivienne Scott
Some of the stalls included in this year's fair include woodworkers coming from Forster and Bulahdelah as well as more locally, a candlemaker from Gloucester, repurposed clothing, handmade linen clothing, handmade glass beads, leatherwork, honey and beeswax, 'wild weaving' of baskets and other things using items found in nature, gingerbread, ceramics, life drawing and other artists, jewellery made from semi-precious stones, silver and other materials, faceted gems from the Manning Valley Rockhounds Lapidary Club and fibre arts, plus more.
"We've even got someone who does engraved rocks," Vivienne said.
"It's a huge cross section of work that people do, and they're all passionate about what they do and it reflects in their work - it's high quality. That's why the use of the word artisans.
"Their passion is reflected in the quality of their work. It's obvious when you can see someone really cares about what they do," Vivienne said.
In addition, the Gymaroos and performers from Stacey Lee's Centre Stage will be providing entertainment throughout the day.
Their passion is reflected in the quality of their work. It's obvious when you can see someone really cares about what they do.
- Vivienne Scott
Wingham Spinners and Craft group will be holding their own stall, and seven of their members will man their own individual stalls. The group is keen for the public to move away from the perception that 'it's just a bunch of nannas crocheting and knitting' and that 'it's all about wool'.
In a lead up to the Artisan Fair Wingham Spinners and Craft have had some of their items on exhibition at the Manning Regional Art Gallery, and the work exhibited there was far, far removed from general knitting and crocheting - felted hats, felted garments which look like art, scarves you'd expect to pay top dollar for - and these are just a small sample of what individual members do.
Members specialties include different felting methods, different weaving methods, hand spinning and dying yarns, needlecrafts - all being created into art and unique wearable items.
"We're striving for the artisan level. When we want to actually sell it it needs to be at the artisan level. We craft around and fiddle about learning our trade," Vivienne said.
Organised by the Wingham Spinners and Craft Group and co-sponsored by Artisans on the Hill of Mondrook, this is only the second year in the event's history, and it is anticipated it will firmly become an annual event on the Manning Valley's calendar.
Manning Made Artisan Fair is on Sunday, June 2 at the PCYC on Commerce Street, Taree from 9am to 3pm.