Polish pottery grabs attention at fall arts show in South Park

When Luke Lubicz and John Bradford began working together earlier this summer they made a lot of Polish craft artists happy.

Sunday afternoon their booth at the Fall Arts and Crafts Festival in South Park was getting a lot of attention because of the handmade pottery and wood crafts they said came straight from artists in Poland.

“These are the type of things that someone might buy one piece at time,” said Bradford, of Platte City, Mo. “They are not inexpensive.”

Some of the profits go to help orphanages in Poland, Lubicz and Bradford said.

Lubicz, a native of Poland, met Bradford through a mutual business acquaintance while working in Pennsylvania. The two are still in the process of fully establishing their Handmade Polish Crafts retail and wholesale business, along with a Web site.

Lubicz travels through the towns and villages of Poland and obtains the crafts, which, in addition to pottery, also include various sizes of handmade wooden chess sets and playing card boxes.

“The artists get their fair share,” Lubicz said.

The Polish crafts booth was one of 176 arts and crafts booths that were set up in the park, the largest display in the 25-year history of the fall arts show, said Duane Peterson, special events supervisor for the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department. He estimated the show drew about 10,000 people by the time the daylong event was over at 5 p.m.

“It’s been a good day,” Peterson said. “The past couple of years the weather was always a factor because it was so hot.”

Emily Myers, 3, of Lawrence, tries on a raccoon fur hat at the Kan-Tan booth during the 25th annual Fall Arts and Crafts Festival. The Sunday afternoon event included live music, food and other entertainment activities.

Topekan Bob Kiekel also was having a good day. Kiekel purchases furs and pelts then tans them and turns them into hats. Most of the fur on display was from foxes, coyotes and minks. He also was selling tanning supplies.

Kiekel, who operates Kan Tan Home Tanning Products, said he usually attends fur shows but has generally stayed away from arts and crafts shows. This was the first time he’d set up at the Lawrence event.

“I’ve had a lot of response,” Kiekel said. “I might not have to go to another show next week.”

Tylor Musick, 10, of Gardner, adjusts the price tag of a Southwest yard art piece at his grandmother's booth.

Arts and crafts weren’t the only attraction. There also was live music at the gazebo, food and children’s pony rides.

“We just like the music,” said Donna Powers, Lawrence, who sat near the gazebo with a friend, Vicki Phares, also of Lawrence.