Festival organizer Carol Fahrenkrog said the bird is the perfect symbol for this year.  Photo: KBJR-TV

By Bonny Bowman of KBJR-TV - October 1, 2021

Apple Fest celebrates everything local in the Bayfield area, including local artists.

Each year, they contribute their talents to designing the Apple Fest poster.

This year, Karen Maki was selected. Her Herbster, WI home on the shores of Lake Superior is her studio.

Her medium is whatever she can find, from driftwood in the sand to paint reflecting the colors of the northwoods.

"I do other things in clay and paper and all that but I do like painting bright colors," said Maki.

A bright color serves as the background for her Apple Fest poster, featuring a raven eyeing an apple.

Festival organizer Carol Fahrenkrog said the bird is the perfect symbol for this year.

"They're very adaptable and they're really good at partnerships and to me, everything that's happening right now with our world and with just trying to put together this Apple Fest, it just kind of pulled it all together for me, the symbolism of a raven," said Fahrenkrog.

This is Maki's second time designing the Apple Fest poster.

In 2008, she took an image of a bear and added Bayfield's most famous fruit.

Fahrenkrog said people have had strong reactions to Maki's work.

"If you're an artist, that's exactly what you want to do," she said. "You want your artwork to invoke passion in people, you want it to invoke feelings and I think it definitely does that."

A longtime local, Maki said it's an honor to have her art included in the poster since Bayfield, its animals, and its apples are her inspiration.

"It seemed appropriate, that Bayfield is like my second home," said Maki.

The posters are on sale at the Bayfield Chamber. They're $25.

Maki said she'll also have art for sale at Apple Fest. She makes her smaller pieces and prints affordable because she feels art should be accessible for everyone.

To watch the video version of the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the KBJR-TV website. https://kbjr6.com/2021/10/01/local-artists-apple-fest-poster-garners-strong-reactions-from-community...