100 American Crafstmen
Friday, May 30-Sunday, June 1

The summer arts and crafts show season officially opens this Friday at Lockport’s 100 American Craftsmen Show. Now in its 38th year, Western New York’s longest-running craft show aims to “celebrate the art of craft” with juried exhibits in clay, fiber, glass, decorative metal, leather, paper and wood. Kitsch lovers beware—you’ll find no paint-by-number cut-outs or pre-fab décor here. Creations range from embroidered landscapes and chromosome-inspired beads to painted gourds and paper pulp sculptures, and the artisans themselves hail from across the entire northeast. Twenty-nine of the crafters are brand new this year, and a number of show favorites—including locals Cynthia Hand, Julia Skop, Kathi Roussel, Marcelo Florencio, and JoAnn Vanderheite—will be returning. Awards will be presented at 2:30pm on Saturday. The weekend will be full of musical entertainment as well, with live jazz music by Ralph Faval (Friday), the Bob Sowydra Band, the Browning Duo, and Duo II Muto (Saturday), and the Pocket Change Trio and the Mark Mazur Trio (Sunday). The Kenan Center gallery will be open to the public, and there’s also a children’s art space and a series of demonstrations for the show’s youngest attendees.

—caitlin dewey

Friday, 6-9pm; Saturday, 10am-6pm; Sunday, 11am-5pm. Kenan Center, 433 Locust Street,

Lockport (433-2617 / kenancenter.org)