BARB FOWLER, chair of the Glen Lake Women’s Club art fair raffle, holds a book that shows just one of the prizes to be given away at next week’s event. The bracelet pictured is by Colleen and Jerry Chaplinski, who specialize in sterling silver jewelry. Laurel Jerus, Fowler’s co-chair, is not pictured. Andrew Pleva probably isn’t one to attend an art fair.

But the 2011 Glen Lake graduate from Maple City is one of dozens of local students who benefit from the event organized annually by the Glen Lake Women’s Club.

The 41st annual fair is set for next Wednesday, July 18 at the Glen Arbor Township hall and on Western Avenue.

“It was a major help to me for books and tuition,” said Pleva, who began his studies at Northwestern Michigan College. “The scholarships are given to students attending NMC, which is great.”

An estimated crowd of 2,000 is expected to attend the fair which will feature 100 local and nationally-known artists who bring their highest quality work to sell.

GLEN LAKE graduates are awarded scholarships each year by the Glen Lake Women’s Club with funds raised at their club’s annual art fair. Pictured from left are club member Jeanine Wessinger Dean and scholarship winners Cheryle Harrington, Marriah Sobczak, Casey Kahler, Austin Flees, Madison Gerding, Shane Carlson, Nathan Therrien, Andrew Gutzka, Robert Peplinski and club president Carol Roache. “When I stepped down as chairman, it was the busiest day of the year in Glen Arbor,” said Jeanine Dean, who assumed the role of chairman in 1996, the year after her husband, Tom, died.

The event was launched as a way for the club to raise funds to purchase items for the township hall not included in the township budget.

“Initially it was a place for people to sell ‘stuff’ ... aprons ... that kind of thing,” Dean said.

However, things changed as the chairman observed other area events and began to recruit some of the artists for the Glen Lake Women’s Club event which is always the third Wednesday of July.

“It’s intended for anything that’s new or different. It’s not a fine arts fair, although we do attract some,” Dean said.

A partial list of this year’s participants and their crafts includes: Deborah Barnes, jewelry; Jim and Jo Cook, copper sprinklers; Stephen Kostyshyn, baskets/mixed media; Julie Kradel, pottery/sculpture; Al Amstutz, wood turned bowls, pens, cutting boards, cheese knives; Barb Teitsma and Susie Bechtel, pigment dyed fleece jackets with a variety of adornments; George Bochnig, blown, Venetian style glass; Susan Hathaway, functional pottery; Liz Hawes, jewelry; Kristin Hurlin, pen/ ink drawings with watercolors; Paul Needham, functional pottery; Bill Perkins, bent willow and applied bark furniture; Jeff Ripple, landscapes in oils and alkyds on linen; Randy and Mary Sias, stone art birdhouses and frames; Leif Sporck, ceramic tile art; Michael Van Houzen, hand carved song birds; Barbara Braly, miniature palette knife oil paintings; and Grace Johnson, landscape and historical photographs of the local area.

Initially the event occupied the township hall and the area directly in front of the structure. But as it has grown, the fair has spread to the area behind the township hall and much of Western Avenue.

Just like the event has grown, the money raised and the good it does has also increased. The club has gone from purchasing refrigerators for the township hall to funding thousands of dollars in scholarships to local students attending NMC.

This spring alone the club awarded more than $16,000 in scholarships to members of Glen Lake’s Class of 2012 as well as previous graduates. This year’s recipients were: Madison Gerding, Casey Kahler, Marriah Sobczak, Robert Peplinski, Nathan Therrien, Brittany Noonan, Cheryle Harrington, Shane Carlson, Austin Flees and Andrew Gutzka.

However, it takes the efforts of many to make the event a success. There is nearly 100 percent participation by club members. Besides the fair chairperson, there are 23 committees and all help out on fair day.

In addition, the Women’s Club hosts a booth with “tag sale” items and lunch is available. The menu includes the club’s “famous walking tacos.”

Each year some of the exhibitor donate items for a raffle. This year’s raffle prizes include: a granite platter, mounted tile, and inlaid wooden table lamp and silver, pearl and Leland blue necklace.

“It has become a tradition for many summer visitors to attend the fair,” publicity chairman Ellen Figura said. “They plan their vacation to include it.”

No admission is charged for the fair which is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.