Tuesday, August 4, 2105
Northfield Hills resident Karol Carter contributed this 365 Story.
Northfield Hills Art on the Lake is a 41 year old tradition in the city of Troy. Northfield Hills Condominium Association dates back to 1971 and includes 646 condo units. In 1974, Lynda Laurie, then a NFH condominium resident, approached the board of directors with an idea. Several of the Association’s residents were artistic and connected with one another through their art. Lynda, an artist, wanted to showcase the talents of those living in the community. The NFH board approved and Art on the Lake was born.
Lynda organized the event herself. For many years Al Paparelli, a Northfield Hills clubhouse receptionist plus fantastic cook, provided hospitality and assistance to the artists and the patrons of the show. Northfield Hills’ records show that in those early years between 20 and 30 resident artists displayed their work on the grounds that surround Beechwood Lake. This property, located on the northeast corner of Long Lake and Coolidge, is owned by the Community Association of Northfield Hills. The CANH is made up of the NFH Condominium Association and neighboring homeowner associations.
Over the next twenty years, under Lynda’s guidance, Art on the Lake grew with an increasing number of exhibitors and visitors. Since 1994 Kathleen Deburghgraeve and Connie Kohn have not only kept this one day art fair alive, but it now attracts over 100 artisans. According to Kathleen, three of the original participants are still exhibiting. Several have been fixtures for over 35 years. You will now find handmade artwork featuring pottery, watercolor, metal, fiber, stained glass, photography, jewelry, and more. There is a children’s booth with crafts, City of Troy fire department ladder rides, entertainment by Troy high school orchestra, and Gilda Radner’s Singers, plus a variety of food and beverage vendors.
This year’s event is Sunday, August 23rd from 10AM – 6PM. Art on the Lake is located at the northeast corner of Long Lake and Coolidge in Troy. Entry to the art fair is made from Coolidge and admission is free. Boy scouts from a local Troy troop assist with parking and would gladly accept a donation. Further information can be obtained at www.ArtOnTheLake.com or phone 248-641-9070.
To commemorate the City of Troy’s 60th Anniversary in 2015, we will publish a different story each day that highlights a person, discovery, or event that occurred locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally between 1955 and 2015 and that helped shape our lives and our community. We will try to post stories on important anniversary dates, but we also realize that dates are less critical than content and context. We will include the facts related to controversial stories, allowing our readers to form their own opinions. We invite you to read and comment on the stories. Your suggestions for topics are also welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TroyHistoricVillage. You can also email stories or ideas to the 365 Story Editor at ed@thvmail.org.
