A lady exited the front door of the North Market, finished her Jeni’s ice cream and followed her daughter to look at a rainbow crayon shaped like a butterfly. This crayon is one homemade craft of many to be found at the North Market’s Artisan Sundays fair.
North Market kicked off this season’s Artisan Sundays on May 2 to create an atmosphere where one can dine while exploring various types of art. Local artists will continue to sell anything from vintage jewelry to baby bibs from noon to 5 p.m. every first and third Sunday until Oct. 17.
Known for its array of local food vendors and Saturday Farmer’s Market, North Market began its Artisan Sundays three years ago in an effort to continue its support for local businesses, said Mary Martineau, director of marketing at North Market.
Some artists applied for an Artisan Sundays canopy spot because it was a way to share their products with the community without traveling to various festivals or opening up a store. For others, it’s just another fair.
“I’ve been selling and showing for nine years. I had my first show when I was 13,” said Nicki Strouss as she reached into her caboodle to select a bead for her next craft.
Strouss said her mother urged her to pursue art and sent her to art classes when she was “tiny.”
She sells ceramics, glass vessels, felt jewelry and hand-bound books. Her booth May 16 was decorated with her designs and blown glass pieces by Jack Gramann.
Marketers can browse several other booths devoted to decorative arts including clay ornaments by Ornaments ‘N More, hand-painted windows by The Window Guy and recycled wind chimes by ArtSafe.
The “art” in clothes, accessories and children’s toys is also featured at Artisan Sundays.
Flying Wishes, created by Pamela Casto, offers large “critter crayons” out of non-toxic materials that are easy to grip and durable for continuous use. Casto said she has used the same animal-shaped crayons for children to try for 12 shows.
Also in Casto’s collection are “monster pillows” that all have a particular identity. They are cuddly companions that like “lima beans and staying in bed all day,” she said.
Casto’s grandmother used to make the monster pillows for her when she was young, and she adopted the craft for mass production.
BC Appliqué, located next to Flying Wishes, sells appliquéd towels, bibs and guardian angels from vintage handkerchiefs. Creator Becky Counts has been traveling to festivals and art fairs for 33 years selling various appliqué items.
Throughout her lifetime of making and selling arts and crafts, Counts still uses word-of-mouth as her form of advertising. Most of the vendors at Artisan Sundays have an online store, but Counts does not own a computer and feels “it’s more fun” to interact with customers one-on-one, she said.
Counts opened up a booth at the first Artisan Sundays as a fill-in. However, she has been a regular vendor for the past two seasons, she said.
Other artists embrace efforts to go green including Carmacazzi, creators of “hand-printed eco-conscious apparel for men and women,” and Patrice Lehocky, who makes handbags from “upcycled” material, according to the North Market website.
Artisan Sundays is a conglomeration of art, food and community. A complete list of artists with descriptions of their products can be found on the North Market website.
