By Mallory Iverson for SLUG Magazine | Posted on August 2, 2023
The 15th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons is returning to the Utah State Fairpark to celebrate a momentous 15 years as Utah’s largest local-centric arts, music, science and technology festival with a selection of over 350 local artisans and makers. In the following pages, read about a few of the exciting vendors and exhibitors you can expect to see throughout the three-day weekend, including performances from renowned national acts! Check out craftlakecity.com for more info.
Mia Archer has been an artist her whole life. Though she began with drawing, Archer’s love for creating has also expanded to include watercolor, calligraphy, digital portraits and embroidery. She finds inspiration for her artwork just about anywhere she looks, with nature being the most significant source.
“I am the friend you can’t go hiking with because I will be stopping every minute to photograph this flower, those leaves or that mushroom,” she says. “I love it all!” Archer notes that she finds a sense of calm when drawing a landscape or creating a floral composition, and she especially enjoys making and embroidering botanical designs because, like nature, they are often perfectly imperfect.
Through her work, Archer hopes to inspire others to create and find the artistic medium they most enjoy. “Art can be anything to each person. We just have to find the form we will fall in love with,” she says. She also hopes to share the vital message that we don’t need others’ validation for our art to be important: We all have something beautiful to bring to the world.
Archer has enjoyed teaching classes with Craft Lake City, where she encourages students’ confidence to share their art no matter their skill level. You can find Archer and her artwork at Good4Life Markets in Herriman, UT and through her Instagram @handmadefrommia_. Be sure to stop by Archer’s booth at this year’s DIY Festival as well!