Dark Muse Altars: DIY Festival Artisan

The 16th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons will feature over 500 local creatives this year, from artisans, vintage vendors and craft foodies to youth entrepreneurs, STEM exhibitors and performers. Get a taste of what’s coming to the Utah State Fairpark this August in the following pages and get tickets to experience it yourself at craftlakecity.com. With a dog park, VIP lounge, a national headlining musician and brand-new DIY Fest After Dark programming, this year’s festival is not to be missed!

Michael Luna has been creative throughout his childhood with any medium available, from pencil to paper to sculpting out of river clay. Luna’s dream of woodworking, however, wasn’t realized until he reached adulthood.

“Although I did get some experience through the years, [woodworking] really flourished for me three years ago when I got a job doing carpentry for a company that converted school buses into tiny homes or ‘skoolies’,” explains Luna. The greater woodworking community has helped Luna navigate the learning processes of his work. Though Luna’s craftsmanship and knowledge are extensive, the emotional and creative process is what has continued his passion.

From idea to product, each project is a unique puzzle waiting to be creatively solved. “Wood carries a beauty of its own and, in turn, every piece turns out better than I was capable of imagining,” says Luna. He works with wood in a way that translates fluidity from piece to piece. When using a medium so intricate, it is important for him to acknowledge the differences from one piece of wood to another and translate their beauty with his artistic touch. In Luna’s words, he is “asking the wood what it wants to become and how it can best be displayed.”

Luna looks forward to interacting with fellow artisans and becoming even more involved with the local arts community through this year’s DIY Fest. Keep up with him and his art through his Instagram @darkmusealtars, as well as at his booth in the 2024 DIY Festival!

Read about more local artisans:
Sacred Division and Geometry: Paulette Platt’s Egg Art
Kaycee Lane Turns Vintage Trash into Kitschy Treasures