Search results for: “Adam Smith”

New Artist: Adam Smith

"First American" silkscreen print by Adam Smith

We would like to welcome Adam Smith to our growing list of artists – we are thrilled to be carrying his work! Adam is a Philadelphia artist, designer, illustrator & silkscreen printer. We learned about his work after he applied to our summer craft bazaar. We now have a good selection of his Men’s T-shirts, prints, & original paintings in the shop. All of his work is very affordable. It is hard to find an actual silkscreen printer these days – especially one as talented as Adam. What impresses me the most about him is that he designs & hand draws all of his own lettering.

"The Floorboards Hide Secrets" Silkscreen by Adam Smith

Aesthetically, we tend to be a bit on the more feminine side here at Art Star, so we are always trying really hard to look for an artist that will appeal to guys as well. I think Adam fits that bill, as evidenced by the fact that almost every man in my life purchased an item from him at our last bazaar. I hope you enjoy his work as much as we do.

"Going Home" acrylic painting on found wood by Adam Smith

Check out this really great interview that Gallery Up did w/ Adam
View his entire collection on our site

August 16, 2011
ASCB Staff Member Picks: Bob Brewster

The Art Star Craft Bazaar would not be possible without the help of our small staff & generous volunteers. We are lucky to have the same people coming back each year to help us out & I mean it when I say we’d be absolutely lost without them! I asked some of our staff members/volunteers to introduce themselves to you & pick out some of their favorite returning vendors & new vendors that they are looking forward to checking out. First up is my brother, Bob. He is responsible for moving around all the tables & chairs, helping vendors w/ load in & load out, & well, basically anything else we need done. He does it all w/ a big smile, a great sense of humor, & loads of charm!

– Megan

Hello ASCB Attendees,

I’m Bob (aka: The Reverend, local table curler, loyal brudda). You can catch me lifting heavy objects, moving tables, putting up tents, setting up vendors, running errands, directing you to the things you want to see, and dancing with a smile in front of the Art Star booth. I’m personally proud to be a part of such a great event. It’s my favorite weekend of the year. That being said:

Get ready to get HOT AND HEAVY with some of the best artists the ART STAR CRAFT BAZAAR has ever had!

Now, I’d like to make a suggestion or two to ASCB first-timers and veterans alike: Get there early and take a look at everything. Do what I do. Take 3 or 4 passes. You’re bound to find something extraordinary tucked away in one of the booths that you just can’t live without. Don’t fall victim to this rookie mistake – you can’t see everything in one pass. Suggestion #2: Make this a family outing. ASCB has something for everyone – young, old, and in-betweens. Share some quality time with family and friends, enjoy a relaxed lunch by the river (the array of food selections is amazing), and groove to the sounds created by some of Philly’s most talented musicians. Finally, learn from my mistake. Bring sunscreen. Guaranteed you’ll get a jump-start on your summer tan. The ultimate goals is to come out, have fun, and support the arts!

If this is by chance your first time coming to this event or you feel as if you want to meet some new artists that you have not gotten the opportunity to meet, here is my list of 2011 ASCB vendors that I enjoy:

1.)    Spaghetti Kiss – being the comic book/graphic novel nerd that I am, I can’t leave ASCB without purchasing one of Michael Bracco’s new installations of NOVO. The story line is original and the artwork is magnificent. I honestly can’t wait to pick up whatever new installations to the series that he has.

2.)    Cutesy but not Cutesy – Do you have a little monster at home or the son/daughter of your little monster? Then make sure to check out this booth. They carry a wide variety of plush pillow and toy monsters for you to choose from. They make a perfect gift or a great conversation starter on the living room couch. They also look as if they’ve designed some monster skin that you can rock during those cool nights and cold winters.

3.)    Adam Smith – Now this is a vendor that I have yet to meet and when I saw he was placed on the list of vendors this year, I got really excited. Much of his work mixes a graffiti/skateboard vibe with everything that you love about Philadelphia. I’m really excited to pick something up from this gentleman, and check out all the other great stuff that he may bring to the event that is not up on his website.

4.)    Fuzzy Ink – All I need to say is mustaches and mustache accessories. I really don’t have to say much else except MUSTACHE COOKIE CUTTERS!!!!!!!!

5.) BirdQueen Designs – Looking for that wonderful piece of jewelry for that very special someone? Well look no further. BirdQueen Designs puts together fun yet elegant pieces of jewelry that say “I love you” while peaking her interest. Peacock feathers, octopi, and bow necklaces. If you want to be the talk of the room, make sure to invest in a piece of their jewelry.

I’m going to be honest, when I first saw many of the vendors that will be at the 2011 ASCB, I kind of got excited and depressed at the same time. Excited because of all the great artists and depressed because of all the money I KNOW I’m going to spend. Now, I STRONGLY suggest that you check the vendors section of the ASCB web page and get to know all of the vendors. Take a few minutes and cruise their websites and get an idea about where you’re going to spend most of your time.

Best,

Bobby B.

April 22, 2011
Spotlight on Specks & Keepings

Specks & Keepings is a brand new online shop where you can browse & purchase beautifully hand-crafted items to wear & display in the home. It is owned & operated by Art Star Craft Bazaar vendor, Hillery Sproatt. You can find her work here, as well as work by Rebe (her booth mate at the bazaar), Anschtecka, Adam Wolpa, Eric Stiner, Karen Thurman, & Kotoa.

The artist states, [Specks & Keepings] is a showcase of thoughtfully made goods that aim to inspire a simple lifestyle that is carefully shaped and chosen. When browsing the shop, I hope people will be overwhelmed with a sense of wonder at the beauty of a handmade life. I aimed to create a shopping environment that encourages people to think about what it is they are bringing into their homes and into their lives. I believe on some level, our possessions are an extension of ourselves and they should speak to who we are as individuals. Things are always more beautiful when they mean something to us.

www.specksandkeepings.com
Visit Hillery Sproatt & Rebe at Booth #51 at the Art Star Craft Bazaar!
You can also find Rebe’s clothing at one of our favorite shops – Arcadia Boutique

April 19, 2011
In Loving Memory

The week before the bazaar, we lost a dear friend, Lara Long. Lara was the owner of plaidponyvintage.com. Art Star hosted several Plaid Pony Vintage pop-up shops in our brick-n-mortar over the years. Lara lived over in Fishtown & used to come in Art Star when we first opened over on the Liberties Walk. We became instant friends. Its always nice to chat w/ a fellow Philly business owner, especially over drinks. We became closer over the years & Lara used to watch the shop for us whenever we needed. She never hesitated to lend a helping hand. She literally saved our butts during the early years of the ASCB by carting around heavy tables for us in her truck!

We loved it when Lara would watch the shop b/c the next day everything would be completely organized. All the T-shirts would be neatly folded & she would come up w/ clever ways to organize our space without us even asking. Lara had a talent for organization. She also had a real eye for vintage & I used to love going on long thrifting trips w/ her. She would quickly scan each thrift store aisle and was able to find the perfect pieces in what seemed like minutes. I would still be on the first rack & she would already have her hands on all the gems the place had to offer. I used to help her pack orders for her company as well & used to love it! She had racks of clothing, piles of sweaters & t-shirts, boxes of jewelry, shelves lined w/ retro ceramics… and it was all organized by type/style/color of course. She would leave me w/ a map of the space & I felt like I was hunting for treasures in her home.

Lara really impressed me after her brother passed away in August of 2009. She was devastated by the loss, but she got right to work organizing a memorial fund in his name. Lara’s brother, Adam Goldstein (aka DJ AM) was a recovering drug addict who had amassed a giant collection of sneakers. Lara took time off from running her business to devote herself full time to spearhead a massive auction of his entire collection. 100% of the auction profits went to his memorial fund, which aims to help other drug addicts recover – an effort he began & was extremely passionate about during his lifetime. Lara was one of the strongest people I have ever met & her strength will continue to inspire me.

I will never forget our fun dinners out, our girls’ nights, & our epic rockband sessions. She was so much fun to be around & was one of the few friends I could talk on the phone w/ for hours. One of my fondest memories w/ Lara was a beach trip that we took last summer. My husband & I, along w/ Lara & her husband Ben, spent hours in the water. We both remembered that day as being one of the best times we had & resolved to go many times this summer. We remembered that day together, on a particularly difficult one & it brought us both comfort. I am sad to go to the beach without her now, but she will always be with me. So here’s to you Lara! I will never forget you – especially your laugh. Thank you for being such an incredible friend to me personally & to Art Star.

Megan

May 26, 2011
Meet ASCB Vendor Spaghetti Kiss

Hello there! My name is Michael Bracco and I am the artist, writer, screen printer, and general weirdo behind Spaghetti Kiss; a company featuring my hand screened apparel as well as my graphic novels, “NOVO”, “Adam Wreck” and “The Creators.” The work I create is an extension of the geeky kid I was, who escaped through comics and sci-fi/fantasy movies, only now I get to escape through my own creations. In most of my work, you can see that I really enjoy hybridizing animals, machinery and other strange things to create some off the wall designs and stories.

My process, whether I am designing a tee shirt or the next page in a book, always starts in the same place; my sketchbooks. I am constantly sketching, researching, plotting and taking notes before starting a ‘final’ drawing which is also done in a sketchbook so that I can keep my work portable and keep it going anywhere at the drop of a hat. As far as tools, I always work in Strathmore 400 series books and use an assortment of pens and markers including microns, zebra brush tip pens and sharpies.

In my apparel designs, I find that beyond the illustration and its concept, the design and placement of a print on a piece of apparel is really important. I love when a creature feels like it is crawling across someone’s chest or a city is rising up from the bottom of a shirt. Sometimes I have placement in mind when I first start sketching while other times I am playing around with the placement as I am pulling the first couple of prints.

When it comes to comics, the process is a bit more intense. After I come up with a concept for a story I need to write an outline or “Beat Sheet” while doing tons of research and character sketches. Then I start writing scripts for chunks of the stories depending on if I am writing chapters, issues or whole books. Once the script is done I will storyboard 2 pages or a spread at a time and then do the pencils, inks and lettering directly into my sketchbook. At the completion of a chapter, issue or book, I will scan all the pages, make little corrections and add color if necessary then send it off to press!

All of my work can be found this summer at the Asbury Park Art Star Craft Bazaar this July as well as Spaghettikiss.etsy.com for the apparel and creatorscomic.com for my present comic project.

July 2, 2015
Move For Hunger Tackles Hunger and Food Waste

On average, America produces enough food to feed over 500 million people each year, yet over 49 million Americans, including 1 in 5 children, go to bed hungry. While we cannot eliminate food waste entirely, we can all do a small part to make a difference in the amount of food that is wasted.

Move For Hunger began with a simple idea: ask people to donate their food when they move, rather than throw it out. Coming from a family with four generations of movers, Adam Lowy saw how much food was thrown away each time people moved — perfectly good food that would end up in landfills — and found a way to get it to those in need in the local community.

Thus, Move For Hunger was founded as a non-profit organization to mobilizes the relocation industry to reduce food waste and fight hunger in local communities across North America.

Movers who partner with Move For Hunger collect unwanted, unopened, non-perishable food items and deliver them to local food banks. With this simple idea and growing network of 600+ moving companies, thousands of realtors, and corporate housing professionals, Move For Hunger has delivered over 5 million pounds of food to local food banks throughout North America, providing meals for more than 4.2 million Americans.

Get involved and join Move For Hunger to fight hunger in your local community!

For more information please visit www.MoveForHunger.org
Visit the Move For Hunger Activity Tent at our Art Star Craft Bazaar on July 25th + 26th in Asbury Park and Make A Donation!

July 24, 2015
An Interview w/ Jordan Perme from Horrible Adorables

Meet Jordan Perme, a Ohio based artist who creates fabulous felt taxidermy! Each piece is hand sculpted & then covered w/ colorful felt pieces. We met Jordan at last year’s Art Star Craft Bazaar where she introduced Philadelphia to her vast array of creatures. Some were free standing, but most were mounted to painted wood plaques. My husband & I snagged 2 for our home & I can’t wait to see what she brings this year. I was curious to learn more about her. Check out my interview w/ her below, as well as some photos of her working in her studio on a new piece. You can purchase her work at art star or at booth #95 at the bazaar.
-Megan

Megan: How did your idea to create your felt taxidermy come about? Did
you begin making these while you were at art school?

Jordan: I am fascinated by the famous hoaxes of showman P.T. Barnum,
sideshow trickery, curiosities, Crytozoological wonders (such as
Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster) and by the enthusiasts of this
study who passionately collect evidence in an effort to prove these
creature’s existence. My cumulation of interests inspired a thesis
show at the Cleveland Institute of Art where I created a Room of
Wonder for a delusional collector. Within the space there was framed
tintype documentation of the collector ‘hunting,’ a hand drawn field
guide and plenty of curious faux taxidermy creatures!

M: What is your creative process like? Do you begin w/ a sketch or
just start sculpting?

J: I do a lot of quick sketches for ideation, but I don’t think too
much about what the final product is going to look like. Once I start to
sculpt the foam, the shape changes and evolves. I will start to see a
new creature emerge and the majority of the time, it ends up looking
quite different from my original drawing.

M: How do you come up w/ ideas for your different characters?

J: Each sculpture is unique and one of a kind. I visualize existing
animals and wonder what they would look like if they had strange
features such as horns, a long snout or gangly teeth. These new
additions further distance the creatures from being a specific,
recognizable animal and also give them an other worldly appearance. I
am often asked, while showing my art at various fairs, what type of
animal a given sculpture is supposed to be. My response is usually
something like “Oh, it’s an antelope-kitty-giraffe hybrid of course!”

M: What is a typical day like for you? Do you have a day job or do
you make your art full time?

J: I am in my studio all day, every day! In addition to creating
fantastical creatures, I am also a freelance soft toy and repeat
pattern designer. I work for major toy companies to ideate new plush
concepts and produce prototypes of soft toys. I also work a lot on
the computer making graphic repeat patterns that are used to decorate
everything from plastic to fabric toy components. Working in this
industry has definitely influenced my art work, as it has become more
playful in appearance. Many people have even bought my faux taxidermy
to decorate their nurseries!

M: When did you launch your business & how has it grown over the years?

J: Upon graduating from college in 2009 I began to look for a ‘real
job.’ I found that with no industry experience, it was extremely
difficult to find any position in my field that was looking for recent
college graduates. I had dabbled in freelancing before and decided to
take a few projects here and there until I could find something more
permanent. I found that the projects that I was taking on were
incredibly rewarding and since I was able to make up my own schedule
(wake up in the afternoon, work till 4 in the morning) there was a lot
more time for me to do my own art work and keep a good studio
practice. With a normal 9-5 job, I don’t think I would be able to
travel to as many art fairs and have much time to build up stock. I
have had an Etsy site for years, but decided to relaunch the ‘Horrible
Adorables’ line again in 2010. I haven’t been doing the indie craft
thing for that long, but it has led to many great networking
opportunities and I have been getting nice feedback that has made me
feel even more secure in my pursuit of a non-traditional line of
work.

M: Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

J: In 10 years I would love to be able to support myself solely from
my art work and continue making the things that I love.

M: Are there any specific artists that have inspired you and your work?

J: My favorite artists are Yinka Shonibare, Kiki Smith and Yoshitomo
Nara. I am inspired by indie crafters and am on Etsy at least once a
day checking out whats new!

M: Out of all the felt sculptures that you have made, which is your favorite?

J: I get pretty attached to each sculpture after I complete it and
often times, my favorite is whatever my newest creation is! I am glad
that other people enjoy my art too, enough to purchase a piece for
themselves, otherwise I would probably hoard all of my creatures and
have an entire space as a faux-trophy room!

M: I would love to see a giant felt sculpture. Any plans on doing any
large installation pieces?

J: I would also love to make a giant felt sculpture! I’ve had it in
my head for a while to make something quite large (as big as a full
sized deer??) but I can’t seem to find the time that it would take, to
create something at that scale yet. I almost need to have a gallery
show in the works to get me moving on it!

M: Aside from having your work at art star, where else do you sell
your work? Do you have any exhibitions booked in the future?

J: I will be at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this summer (June
11-12) and will be applying to a handful of other shows this year. I
have also been talking to a local Cleveland gallery and boutique about
having a little Horrible Adorables storefront within their space.. but
we are still discussing all the details. More on that later!

M: Any special projects on the horizon?

J: I am passionate about puppets and I would love to do some
exploration into making my creatures as marionettes and animating them
in short films. I also love vinyl artist toys. It would be so great
if some of my creatures could be produced into limited edition toys
that an even wider audience could enjoy!

M: Anything else we should know?

J: I have a lot of new horribly adorable creatures in the works.
Please stop by my booth at the Art Star Craft Bazaar to check them all
out and say hello!

Find more about Jordan & her Horrible Adorables on the following sites:
her website http://www.jordan-elise.com/
her etsy page http://www.horribleadorables.etsy.com
her blog http://horribleadorables.blogspot.com/

April 16, 2011
Guest Blogger: Jahje Bath Ives of Baby Jives

We are excited to have Jahje Bath Ives of Baby Jives as our guest blogger! She has a son of her own & has lived in Philadelpia her entire life, so she is the perfect person to share with you her favorite family friendly places in Philly. Jahje creates colorful mobiles that can be hung above a baby’s crib or hung as decoration in your child’s bedroom. Little fabric birds perch sweetly on branches, butterlies flutter around your little one’s head, and fluffy clouds drip patterned fabric rain drops, amongst many other wonderful scenes. Whichever one you choose, your baby is sure to love it! – Megan

The Art Star Craft Bazaar is enjoyed by all ages, so bring the kids!

Coming into Philadelphia for the Art Star Craft Bazaar? Make a day of it with the entire family! There are so many amazing places to visit, eat, and play in the city. I wanted to share a few of my family’s favorite spots in Philly.

I have a little boy and he is obsessed with vehicles, so he is in heaven when we head down to Penn’s Landing because of what he can find there – boats! Just walking along the waterfront there are plenty of ships to see. You can visit the Independence Seaport Museum to look at all things Maritime & where you can even tour the Cruiser Olympia. Another fun option is to head across the river to the Camden Adventure Aquarium after you are done. There are tons of amazing fish to look at!

At Penn’s Landing there will be plenty of great food to eat and bands to dance around to, but if you want to take the kiddos somewhere special, you can’t beat a visit to Franklin Fountain at 116 Market Street, where you can travel back in time by sipping hand made ice cream floats from paper straws and nibbling on their delectable candy. It’s one of our favorite places to go for a treat to cool off! After that you could head over to Franklin Square at 6th & Race to burn off some energy on the playground. Play a round of mini golf or ride the carousel.

If you are thinking of heading over to Northern Liberties to visit Art Star Gallery & Boutique, you could also grab some food at Honey’s Sit ‘n Eat at 800 N. 4th Street. This restaurant is one of our favorite spots to eat, especially now that we have a kid. They have an amazing selection of food, including vegetarian and vegan delights, such as a fried green tomato salad that appears seasonally and their own veggie burger with thick cut fries. Yum! We have actually celebrated both of my son’s birthdays here with a slice of their incredible carrot cake (gotta get the veggies when you can!).

So grab your kids and come discover Philadelphia – there are plenty of other places to go, such as the Smith Playground, Please Touch Museum, Franklin Institute, Museum of Natural History – the list goes on!

Make sure to hit the Art Star Craft Bazaar first and please swing by and visit me, Jahje of Baby Jives at Booth #41. I have been working nonstop to create some new delights for the show, including my mobliles, which feature birds, clouds, butterflies, and even dragonflies (or as my son calls them – airplanes). I’ve also got a new line of necklaces that you can treat yourself to as well. You can see a sneak peak of them on my blog, or visit my online shop. Stop on by and I’ll be happy to give you some more travel tips around Philadelphia – I’ve lived here all my live!

April 30, 2011
ASCB Vendor Spotlight: Janell Wysock

photo by Rene Micheli

Did you go to art school? If so, where did you study?
I finally got around to college by age 25 and went to Moore College of Art and Design.

What types of items will you be selling at the bazaar?
Those attending the Bazaar will see light weight knit sweaters with blocks of color that can be worn on a cool evening at the shore or layered artistically all year round. I will also have handwoven and netted scarves.

Sweater by Janell Wysock

What materials do you work with?
Yarns that are made out of wool, rayon, silk, metallics are my favorites. I blend them sometimes to create unique color stories and you may find them crocheted, woven, or knitted.

by Janell Wysock

How are your items made? Describe your process.
I create my work using both a fine gauge and bulky knitting machine as well as the floor loom. The process starts with a cone of yarn and a pattern I have developed that gets set up on either machine and a lot of hand work techniques to bring it all together both in finishing edges and decorative details.

the artist's studio

Are you able to make your work full-time? If not, what do you do for your day job?
I do spend a full amount of time producing my work and handling the business side of it -Monday thru Friday, 8 hours a day. But I also keep a constant income flow going from local neighborhood weekly cleaning accounts that I service, as well as photographing everything from other designers work to peoples head shots and my favorite, weddings.

Who are some of your favorite artists?
Some of my favorite international artists are Friendreich Hundertwasser, Kurt Schwitters, Arline Fisch, Sheila Hicks, Janet Echelman, and Haas&Hahn. Favorites I have studied with are Lewis Knauss, Deborah Warner, and Michael Olszewski, and my favorite local folk are Karen Henderson, Rebecca Landes, e Bond, Darla Jackson, Donna Quinn, Termain Smith, Brienne Rosner, Rene Micheli.

What are you reading/listening to right now?
I am listening to Deadmau5.

wool crocheted over a rock by Janell Wysock

Where would you like to see yourself and your art/craft business in the next 10 years?
In the next ten years I would like to have a production line that is viable and be able to also create large scale outdoor art pieces.

You can find Janell at booth #99 at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar

April 16, 2012
Upcoming Exhibition: “Natural Growth” Curated by Paradigm Gallery + Studio

Hedgehog by Zoë Williams

We are thrilled to announce that we are hosting an exhibition with our friends from Paradigm Gallery + Studio. They have curated a line-up of 8 artists who will be exhibiting work that explores geodes and gemstones. The title is “Natural Growth” and will be up in our gallery space from June 23rd – August 12th. Participating artists include: Clint Tillman Reid, Zoë Williams, Paige Smith, Tyler Thrasher, Lucy Price, Kate Glasheen, Caitlin McCormack, and Seo Kim.

Please join us for an opening reception with the artists on Saturday, June 23rd, from 7-9pm. Light refreshments will be provided.

June 12, 2018

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