THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 29, 1994 TAG: 9410290170
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Minutes after the opening of the 36th Albemarle Craftsman's Fair on Friday, Kimberly Meads and Kelli Russell were selling dozens of handmade goods created by them and their 4-H Club peers in seven counties.
Meads, 12, and Russell, 17, had worked the fair before, but for Meads it was a first at keeping track of purchases.
``It's nerve-wracking,'' the Elizabeth City Middle School seventh-grader said after recalculating an order.
``Because everybody comes up here at one time,'' Russell added, assisting her 4-H friend.
The two are among the youngest artisans who count on one of the nation's oldest demonstrating crafts fairs for income and inspiration.
More than 5,000 visitors are expected at the annual festival, which continues from 10 a.m. to 9p.m. today and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Knobbs Creek Recreation Center.
It began in 1959 with a partnership among the Albemarle Craftsman's Guild, area extension homemaker clubs and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.
When doors opened Friday morning, scores of people already were lined up with $1 or $2 in hand for admission. Within an hour, the parking lot off Ward Street was near capacity.
The emphasis of the crafts show is quality, and all exhibitors are screened for craftsmanship, even the 4-H youths who devote many an hour to creating Christmas ornaments, jewelry, bedding and household knick-knacks.
``The fair was not created just to sell, although that's important,'' said Faytie Johnson, vice chairwoman of the craftsman's fair. ``It was created as an education program so that the old crafts would stay in existence.''
About 100 artisans from all over the East Coast have set up 41 booths at this year's festival, including broommaker Ron Lindgren.
A Navy sailor who took off work Friday to be at the festival, Lindgren is a third-generation broommaker who learned the trade from another Albemarle craftsman.
``I think it really teaches us a sense of our own creativity, and I think it teaches us a sense of our heritage,'' he said.
Lindgren's wares range from $3 cake testers to $30 hearth brooms. All are decorative and functional, he said.
``A lot of this was a necessary craft in early days,'' Johnson said. ``Baskets were not made for beauty or decoration but because they were needed.''
All exhibitors are required to dress in Colonial costume and, when possible, create their crafts on site.
For Bert Berry of Chesapeake, that means quietly strumming music on his handmade dulcimers, mandolins and harps. Each instrument requires about 25 hours' worth of work to create.
``He's got a lot of music majors that are interested in them because they're really easy to carry around and easy to play,'' said Berry's wife, Faye. ``I think it's very interesting that it's young people, college-aged, that want them.''
Elsewhere in the gymnasium, visitors browsed among stained-glass ornaments, pottery, leather crafts, hand-woven vests, dried herbs, decoys, keepsake dolls, baskets and ethnic Santa Clauses.
Back at the 4-H Youth Center exhibit, Christmas ornaments were big sellers. Judging from the people packed around the displays, so were all the other items.
``The caliber of these is just awesome,'' Pasquotank County 4-H Agent Pat Shepherd said of quilts made by Samantha Snell of Washington County.
One entrant, Michael Corbell of Currituck County, made more than 200 items, including beaded candy canes and starfish painted as Santa Clauses.
Russell, a junior at Northeastern High School, hoped her wooden stools, Holly Hobbie ornaments and heart-shaped coat hangers would be sellouts.
Meads, inspired by vacations to North Carolina's Cherokee County, had spent the past few months making Native American ``dream catchers'' to hang from ceilings, windows, ears and necks.
``It's a positive esteem-booster because they get recognition with the paycheck they get,'' said Cora Evans, the volunteer coordinator for the booth.
``This is the most stuff we've had for years,'' Shepherd said. ``And maybe the best quality.'' by CNB