FEIARTE - International Art Fair

The Feiarte is an international art fair. It gathers the best of the craft from the five continents and from many Brazilian states. The int'l atmosphere in the fair is very exciting with people from all over the world and lots of languages spoken around. Kenya, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iran, Peru, Bolivia, Italy and Russia are only part of the list of countries that are participating in the fair. There are sculpture, jewelery, fabrics, bags, etc.

Every day there is a folklore dance show at a certain hour.
Apart from crafts, also food is being sold, like acarajé and tapioca from Bahia, nuts from Rio Grande do Norte, sweets from Uruguay and more.


Dates: 2 - 11.5.08
Address: Parque Esportivo da PUC-RS. Parking lot available (The fair is literally in the parking lot).
Hours: 14:00-21:00
Ticket: 7R$. Kids up to 12 years old free. Most of the booths accept credit cards.

Mario Quintana Cultural House

Mario Quintana Cultural House is named after the famous poet born in 1906.
The cultural house downtown Porto Alegre is known for its pink color. In the past it used to be the Majestic hotel. It was built in the early 20's in a baroque style.
Today, this beautiful 7 story building is a home for cultural events, library, art galleries, shows, courses and movies. There's always something interesting going on and it definitely worth a visit.
On the 5th floor, there's a nice garden called Jardim Lutzenberger with purple water lilies in bath tubs, benches to rest and a view to the Centro and a beautiful church. A perfect place to relax or read a book.There are 2 cafe-restaurants. One is located at the entrance and the other one on the top floor, where we visited yesterday with our friends J&M. It's called "Cafe Santo de Casa". They have tables indoors and also outside the balcony with a view to the Guaiba. The food is simple and good. The dish names are all spiritual and the place is full of different santas.



Address:
Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana
Rua dos Andrados 736, Centro
Tel. 3221.7147
Closed on Mondays

Machry Armazém & Bistrô

My friend MS showed me this charming bakery/deli/bazar store in Tristeza neighborhood in Zona Sul (the southern suburb of Porto Alegre). The two Machry sisters run the place. The front part of the store is a deli, where they sell homemade breads, cakes, pastries, fresh and frozen, all made of 100% natural ingredients. They also sell dairy products, sauces and kitchenware. As you go deeper in the store, it turns into a bistro, where you can eat by a table, from a selection of food served in an inexpensive buffet. The food is original, light and delicious. Don't forget to leave some room for one of the irresistible homemade cakes. Ohh... they're just too good! We usually try more than one kind.At the front there are tables to sit and enjoy the small garden and open air. The store is decorated with different craft works that add an artistic touch to the place, and are for sale too.
Address: Rua Dr. Armando Barbedo, 257, Tristeza Tel. 3266.9301
Opening hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:00-19:00, Sun. 12:00-19:00. Packed on weekends.

Bienal B in Porto Alegre

The "Bienal B" is an alternative art exhibition, in parallel to the traditional Bienal do Mercosul. An informal organization of 300 artists is displaying the artists works all around Porto Alegre during the months of September, October and November 2007. This is a map of the bienal exhibits in Porto Alegre. During this period there will also be lectures and crafts classes given.

Arts and Crafts Supplies

Porto Alegre offers a lot of shops for arts supplies, most of them can be found in "Centro" neighbourhood (downtown). The biggest store is "Linna", it's a huge 3 floor shop with supplies for different kinds of crafts. They also offer classes. They have 3 shops, the biggest one is in Centro - Rua Senhor dos Passos, 90, Tel. 3213-0000, the other is on Av. Assis Brasil, 2017 Tel. 3345-3167 and another on Av. Azenha, 1317 Tel. 3219-4084.

Rua Senhor dos Passos in downtown is heaven for crafters as there are so many stores with a large variety of arts supplies. You can also find lots of party supplies in this area. In the parallel street, Pinto Bandeira, you can find lots of fabric and yarn stores. Stores downtown open daily from 9:00 and close at around 18:00. Sat. 9:00-13:00.

I find it pretty safe to go to Centro, although many people don't feel safe. If you go dressed up simply and watch your bag, there shouldn't be any problem.

The Brique Art Fair

The Brique arts and crafts fair is happening every Sunday morning until dark. It's in the Redenção park by Bom Fim neighbourhood in Porto Alegre. It is a place to walk along the different booths where artists sell their works. On another part of the fair they sell antiques, food and beverages. In the same area, there is also a small entertainment park for kids.