The decidedly alternative fair offers fine art, jewelry, clothing, lamps, cigar-box guitars and more — and this year, the fair will mark the debut of the society’s Capitol Theater Coloring Book, with art by Nikki McClure, Chelsea Baker and 14 other local artists.
Each page of the book depicts scenes of the theater — from people watching movies to bands performing on stage, from chandeliers to a carpet pattern.
The project is part of the society’s 30th anniversary celebration; the original artwork was on display at the theater during Arts Walk and was auctioned to benefit the society.
“A couple of the other staff members started this project to collect stories of people’s experiences relating to the Capitol Theater and OFS,” said Ira Coyne, who organizes the event and runs the theater gallery. “I was trying to think of a visual component to that. I thought it would be cool if we could have a bunch of people illustrate different parts of the theater.
“The coloring book is a way to make that accessible to everybody.”
This year, the Duck the Malls fair will feature work by more than 50 artists. As it was last year, the theater will be packed with items; vendors are on stage, in the mezzanine and even in between rows of seats.
“Last year, there was the maximum amount,” Coyne said. “I rewrote the layout to fit, like, five more people.
“We have limited space,” he said, “so the scrutiny for getting into a show is pretty high, and it’s not necessarily about how things look but about how things are made.”
It is held in high regard by local artists.
“Duck the Malls continues to be an excellent showcase for the kinds of things that you just don’t find in the mall,” said artist Diane Kurzyna, also known as Ruby Re-Usable. Kurzyna, known for her plastic-bag people and candy wrapper dolls, has been involved with the event since it began and helped to select this year’s artists. (She won’t be exhibiting this year.)
Among Kurzyna’s favorites are Pat Tassoni’s lamps made from recycled hubcaps, Shanty Slater’s recycled tin jewelry and Shari Trnka’s upcycled clothing.
Coyne cited old-fashioned doilies by Mountain Mist Fiberworks and handmade leather goods by Dennis Lanigan as among the highlights. “He has deer-hide journals and pouches made out of raccoon skin,” Coyne said.
While Duck the Malls does feature such artisans as Trnka who create for a living, Coyne said he also strives to include those who might participate in only one fair each year.
“This is a chance for the part-time crafter to experiment with selling their wares,” he said. “We’re giving space to people around town who you might not otherwise know is a jeweler or a metalworker or a bookbinder or whatever.”
