April 7, 2012 - by Marshall Ellis
On Saturday, April 7, the BAC presented the first Brooklyn Arts & Crafts Fair to a packed house and rave reviews. From lithographers to landscape photographers to woodworkers, the BAC hosted a wide variety of artisans and craftsman. The doors were set to open at 1 p.m., but the crowd began lining up outside the BAC at noon, bringing with them an excited sense of anticipation.
Most everyone left with a piece of art or a handcrafted treasure. One buyer went home with a gloss-print of Jane Fonda as large as a table and, on her way out, said with a grin, “It’s probably the best buy I’ll make all week.”
From succulents in handcrafted vases, displayed by Susan’s Garden, to exquisite portraiture of our canine companions, the diversity of art and craft was impressive. One of the vendors, Ann Loewenthal, a portraitist specializing in capturing the loving, loyal spirit of man’s best friends, brought her tiny pug, Joy, to keep her company at the event. “I’m so glad that this has happened here,” Lowenthal said while painting a picture of Joy. “It’s nice to have a beautiful space like the Brooklyn Arts Center for an important and fun crafts fair.”
The Cheesy Banker was parked out front and the BAC Bar kept the crowd hydrated. As the day progressed, more and more of the visitors left with bags filled with homemade, handmade crafts, and many stopped to ask the very same question: “When’s the next one?” 
