If you have a sweet tooth as well as a taste in fine art, then Buffy Vance has designed a space that is just for you. Madeline’s Confectionary Arts Studio & Gallery is located in Downtown Urbana, above Mirabelle Fine Pastries at 122A West Main Street. From ornate wedding cakes to beautifully-detailed flowers, Vance crafts all kinds of pieces that look good enough to eat, which they are, technically.
As part of tomorrow’s Boneyard Arts Festival activities, Madeline’s will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“As a sugar artist, my medium is sugar,” Vance explained. “This is some gum paste,” she said, pointing out this flower:
“These [cakes] are made of sugar. It’s all the same medium.” The cakes are covered in fondant (a paintable sugar paste), with a Styrofoam core:
Here’s a look at her workshop, as she looks on in the mirror:
Vance is the curator of an art gallery in her space, where she also teaches confectionary arts classes, such as Fondant Basics and Cakes 101. Here are some of the pieces she has on display:
During non-Boneyard times, Madeline’s is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, or by appointment. You can reach Buffy at (217) 384-7000.