Effingham Artisan Fair Seeks New Leadership

The Effingham Artisan Fair is moving towards its 15th Year in 2020 – and new leaders are being sought to work with the current Fair committee to keep the event running and continuing into the next decade.  

The Effingham Artisan Fair grew out of the Effingham County Vision 2020 initiative’s Culture Arts and Leisure spoke. The Fair has grown over the years from a one-day event to two days; added great new art exhibits and activities as well as expanded entertainment and other events to provide something for everyone – from children to adults. 

Cottie Dial and Lisa Elliott have led the effort for nearly all of the 15 years of its existence and they have announced the need to step down from leadership following the 2020 Artisan Fair.   They hope to have interested individuals work alongside them to plan the 2020 Artisan Fair and continue it into the future.  

According to Dial and Elliott, the Artisan Fair has created a great source of pride for the community and has helped expand interest in the arts, while raising money for worthy local groups – notably the Community Support Systems Art Auction which has raised over $10,000 annually to support arts by CSS clients.

Dial, Elliott and the Artisan Fair Committee plan to make the May 1 and 2, 2020 Effingham Artisan Fair the best ever.  They are ready to turn the torch over to the next generation of people who are dedicated to bring events to the community.  Their goal is to make this a smooth transition so the fair will not be eliminated.