ST. CLOUD - Artists and art lovers gathered at the 9th Annual Art Fair in the Gardens. Munsinger Clemens Botanical Society Co-Chair Joan Andersen says this fair is full of high quality art.

"We always want people to come here and be able to buy high quality art work for their home or their garden," says Andersen, "Every year we do invite our artists to come back, but we always have some turnover." 

A leaf mold bird feeder created by Angie Swanson.
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
A leaf mold bird feeder created by Angie Swanson.
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
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Anderson says there were both new and returning artists displaying their work this year. I first met with Angie Swanson who was in her first year displaying at the art fair. She makes bird feeders using leaf molds and concrete.

Swanson says, "They're leaf castings made out of real leaves. I use rhubarb, elephant ears, hasta leafs, and then I use concrete, and stain them with concrete stain and sealer so they can be used in doors and out."

All of her work is handmade.

"I make a mound of dirt with a sheet of plastic on it, take my leaf, flip it upside down, and I take my concrete and put it on top on of the leaf. When it's dry I pull the leaf off, smooth down the rough edges, and then I spray it with my concrete stain," says Swanson.

I also met with Brad Woods who is in his fourth year displaying at the gardens.

Some of the work by Brad Woods on display at the Art Fair in the Gardens. (Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
Some of the work by Brad Woods on display at the Art Fair in the Gardens. (Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
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"We're selling landscape products; signage, benches, bird baths, just all outdoor products, stuff that you may want to use for a landscaping project or to enhance the beauty of the garden," says Woods, "Since then it's been a really good turnout for crowd because I think that the products that we set out are in a garden setting just as if they would when they purchase them, that's where they'd go. So they can visualize them in their setting."

His work comes in all shapes, sizes, and designs.

"I take it, shape it in to various things, and there's carving and sandblasting that takes place using a mask with adhesives," says Woods.

The Art Fair in the Gardens goes until 7:00 p.m. tonight.

The Munsinger Clemens Botanical Society also puts on the Music in the Gardens concert series. The next concert is on July 26th featuring Laura Cavianni, and the Memorial Release of the Butterflies.

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