EXPOSURE

Thursday was a gorgeous day to spend at Navy Pier.  The overcast skies had made way for sunshine and the Chicago skyline was picture perfect.

I was a bit torn about having to spend the afternoon inside setting up for the big event, but happy so many people were celebrating a tentative Spring on the pier.

The RAW: natural born artist directors gave us ample time to set up for EXPOSURE on the Odyssey Yacht.

I customized my space early.

This was my first time setting up lamps with the display, and I am glad I am grown-up enough to have three desk lamps of the same color.

This left me with time to go to the other decks and take snapshots of their creations.

Carolyn Sullivan of PumPums ‘below deck’.

The fashion sneak peek looked fabulous.

I hope there will be an album of the actual show, which I missed since I was above them.

The most varied artists resided on ‘my’ Amethyst deck.

Each time the setup has its own feel.

I chatted with the two other jewelers present, who both have distinct styles and great passion for their craft. Rust Belt Americana scours the nation for rustic finds that are repurposed into jewelry.

Flux Of Feathers offers perfect adornments for the more morbidly minded with pendants holding claws, teeth and other animal parts.

My neighbor Troy of BowExotic creates fantastic wooden bow ties, which make dressing up a cinch!

They add elegance to the outfits of men and women alike. Troy makes many bow ties based on how inspiration strikes him, but he also customizes them with fraternity logos and other customer-specified designs.

He also made his own lamps for the event.

My left hand neighbor Brandin of Paper Moon Affairs hand-cuts beautiful paper vignettes and then places them in lit-up frames for a dreamlike scene to hang in your home.

I enjoyed the view during quiet moments.

Throughout the evening the outfits were a sight to behold. I spotted a lovely ethereal star dress, sky-high heels, and a vast interpretation of the requested ‘cocktail attire’ dress code.

The bar was closeby and Odyssey Waitstaff were quite helpful to the table-bound vendors to keep them hydrated and fed.

I enjoyed a slider and potato wedges for dinner and imbibed in some bubbly to celebrate the festivities.

A few pieces will be gifted to mothers on May 10, and even more business cards wandered off into the world.

The Odyssey Yacht offers lunchtime and dinner cruises during which the ship does traverse Lake Michigan.

As a bonus I forgot about, we were invited to take head shots by a professional photographer, and a videographer took detailed footage of each booth. I cannot wait to see how that turns out.

I’m scoping out the future RAW Midwest events and hope to pop up at one of those soon.

Meanwhile, check out the happenings in your city, and support a participating artist in your neighborhood.

Meanwhile, don’t forget to shop on Etsy for Mom!