Hazel Park's annual art fair showcases local creative talent

Hazel Park Art Fair

Hazel Park-ers are fiercely proud of their town. One of Metromode's best-read stories ever was "Why Hazel Park is the next Hazel Park". But it's hard to deny that the city is changing.

That's why Metromode reporters will be embedded in Hazel Park this fall. We'll be digging into what this evolving community is up to, how it's changing, and how residents and business owners feel about it. And hopefully, we'll find some answers to the question: 'What's next for Hazel Park?'

We started by visiting the annual Hazel Park Art Fair in Green Acres Park, where we met a range of artists who live in or near the city. Here's who we met and what we saw.

Kiera Adams, Spray Paint Artist

"I use canvas and glossy paper and wooden canvases and stuff like that. I wanted to get into the street art but I liked the natural look and then I got into doing planets. I grew up like half a mile away in Detroit and I moved to a Ferndale when I was 10. I just love the area. Everyone's really nice. There are a lot of local places around here where I can get art supplies. Pretty much everything I got here was from Tony's Ace Hardware in Hazel Park."

Kiera Adams, Spray Paint Artist

Chris Gorski, Detroit GT

"I was in advertising for about 17 years. And then I lost my job. I love Chevy's and I love old cars. And so my concept was to just make tee shirts and sell my artwork and just kind of work for myself and go to art fairs. I live in Ferndale but Hazel Park is an extension of my world."

Chris Gorski, Detroit GT

Jennifer Xerri, Starlily Creations

"I've lived in Hazel Park for five years. I love the artsy area of Ferndale and Hazel Park. It's kind of like the San Francisco of Detroit. It's artsy, it's progressive, it's got a good vibe. I'm a freestyle crochet artist. I design my own patterns. My grandma from Malta taught me to crochet, and my business is named after her. Her name was Lily. I was her live-in caretaker from age five until I was in high school."

Jennifer Xerri, Starlily Creations

Dennis Groh, Wine Chimes and more

"I started turning wine glasses into wind chimes about eight years ago, at first just as gifts for friends. Hazel Park is my hometown. I'm born and raised here. It's coming back to the way I remember when I was a kid. Which is like fun, fun, fun. New restaurants, new stores opening."

Dennis Groh, Wine Chimes and more

Victor Andale, Painter

"I've lived in Ferndale since 1971. I like everything about this area. I love my neighborhood. I've always had good and friendly neighbors here. Six years ago I started taking lessons, and my art is all oil painting. This is my second year coming to the Hazel Park Art Fair."

Victor Andale, Painter

Marg Sapp, President, Wild Wings Songbird and Crow Rehabilitation

"Wild Wings is a Wild Bird Rehab Center in Hazel Park for injured and orphaned wild songbirds and crows, pigeons, and doves. And we take in over 650 birds a year with an 86% survival rate, which is higher than the national average."