MILWAUKEE — Our reports on The Rebound Milwaukee is giving you inspiration and ideas on how to get back up and running. We are all in this together.
The local artist industry has come together to create a virtual art fair, just in time for Mother’s Day.
Oil Painter Krista Allenstein loves to create inspiring sayings on nostalgic Milwaukee signs.
In this time of social distancing, she is struggling for her works of art to be seen outside her Elm Grove studio. She adds, “We work in isolation we look forward to this time that we share our art with people art is meant to be shared and not stored!”
With businesses closed and expos canceled, Allenstein started brainstorming with her tight-knit network of peers.
That’s when Jean Wells, president of the Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council came up with the idea to showcase local work on one website, just in time for customers who hope to shop local for Mother’s Day. She adds, “Many of our artists did not have online stores so we put it together as quickly as we could.”
26 artists are on the site so far, and 60% of those are based in the Milwaukee-area. A portion of each sale will be donated to advocacy group Arts Wisconsin.
For Jean Wells, she hopes this website continues to grow even after this pandemic is over. She hopes it will help her own pottery business flourish.
She adds, “It has really been an eye opening experience for me. We’re all in this together. People say and we do not compete with each other. I think the more we work together, the stronger we are.”
Here’s The Rebound Rundown:
- During this time, it is important to network, network, network.
- If you do not have a website, now may be the best time to create one and offer safe delivery.
- Don’t forget to give back. Your customers will not forget your kindness during this trying time.
Click here to shop on the Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council webpage.