MINNEAPOLIS — The 59th annual Uptown Art Fair features 320 professional artists and a dozen art forms.
One such artist is Deb Reutter, who makes jewelry using tiny Japanese glass beads. Many of her pieces mimic patterns she sees in life - from vibrant restaurant building walls to a spotted Minnesota State Fair pig.
"I now put those pictures of inspiration near my pieces," Reutter said.
Last year was Reutter's first time operating a booth in the Uptown Art Fair yet she earned an award, guaranteeing her a spot in this year's fair.
"I earned Best in Show for jewelry and was absolutely stunned," she said.
Just a few years ago, beading was only a hobby. That's because Reutter was teaching full-time. She started working for Minneapolis Public Schools in 1994 and never intended to stop teaching to do art but plans suddenly changed in fall 2021 when she woke up with a severe headache.
"I got myself to the bathroom, was throwing up and just laying on the floor of the bathroom sweating profusely and just stayed there until my husband came home," she recalled.
After ruling out COVID, Reutter went to the emergency room, which sent her to another facility for a 10-hour surgery. Doctors found three aneurysms on one side of her brain. One of them ruptured.
"Then they found that I had another one on the other side but I had to do that surgery three months later," Reutter said. "My neurosurgeon said no, that you're done with teaching just because of the cognitive issues that I have."
"I was worried I wouldn't be able to bead but I can."
And she says beading is especially therapeutic now.
"I struggle with depression and I'm open about that and it was amplified with the brain aneurysm but … I like to come to these events," she said. "Just talking about like, 'Oh yeah, that's a building that inspired me to make that piece,' is really helpful."
Reutter's booth is located in front of Hoban Korean BBQ on Hennepin Ave. The Uptown Art Fair runs through 5 p.m. Sunday. The Powderhorn Art Fair is also scheduled for this weekend.
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