Genevieve Geer of Le Puppet Regime at our Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar. Photo by Chris Kendig
Thank you so much to everyone that came out to our 12th Annual Art Star Craft Bazaar on May 9th + 10th. It was one of our busiest years yet – over 15k people came out to buy handmade this past year! If you did not make it to our show, please visit our vendor line-up page or stop by our store to shop our vendors!
We have just a few (winks) events coming up! AND many opportunities for Artists and Crafters who are looking to vend.
Art Star Craft Bazaar at Asbury Park, NJ – July 25th + 26th Details HERE
Art Star Pop Up Market at Spruce Street Harbor Park. Every Saturday through September 26th from 11-4pm. NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
We are thrilled to welcome new Art Star Craft Bazaar Vendor, Melissa Weiss, to our November 8th and 9th show at the 23rd Street Armory and as a guest writer on our blog today! Melissa is a studio potter from Asheville, NC. She digs all of her own clay off her land in NW Arkansas and each piece is made entirely by hand. Enjoy her post about her work and process. Be sure to check out her website and her booth (#47) at our upcoming bazaar!
Melissa Weiss in her studio
About 6 years ago on a visit to my land in NW Arkansas I dug a bucket of clay out of the ground and brought it home. I made a cup and fired it. It withstood the firing but had some issues. On my next trip to Arkansas I dug a few hundred pounds. I brought it back to my studio in Asheville, NC and started adding feldspars, sand and other commercially available dried clays. I made about 13 variations of clay bodies incorporating my hand dug clay in different percentages. I tested all of these variations with all of my slips and glazes and after hundreds of tests came up with a working clay body that was what I wanted based on functionality and aesthetics. The clay I dug from land is 25% of the body and this is the clay I use to make every single pot. The process is arduous but the reward is grand.
About once a year I drive to the land I bought in 2002 with friends. I was not a potter then. We bought 75 acres of wild woods an hour from town. This land is full of a beautiful iron rich, red clay. I dig about 1000 lbs on a trip and bring it home. This will enable me to make 4000 lbs of clay. I make clay at my studio in batches of 1000 lbs. I put the Arkansas clay in a 55 gallon drum and add water. I let it sit for a while and drill it up until it’s a slurry.
Then I screen it to remove the big rocks and debris. This now liquid clay is in a giant metal trough. I then add all my commercial ingredients and drill it up. At this point the clay is mixed and is the consistency of yogurt. I remove this liquid clay by the bucket full into racks lined with old bed sheets. The racks are basically wood frames with a chicken wire bottom. These racks get stacked upon each other until they are all filled with the clay. They will then sit for 2 weeks or more depending on the weather. At this stage the water slowly drains through the sheets and screen and eventually I am left with a useable clay.
the clay’s water slowly drains through bed sheets
The reason I do this is not to save money on clay. After all the labor and driving it costs much more than buying clay at the store. I do this for many reasons. The most basic is aesthetics. The clay I make looks different. It is imperfect and slightly varying. Small rocks and bits of iron remain, which melt out in the firings and give the pots a raw, wild look. This clay also feels different. It feels alive. It has a character and a life of its own. I also love the process of autonomy. I like being involved in the making process from the beginning to the end. The finished pot was made by me every step of the way. It gives me a connection to my work I don’t think I would have if the clay was more easily come by.
hand formed spoons made from Melissa’s own clay body
I work out of an 8000 square foot warehouse in an industrial section of Asheville, NC between the railroad and the river. It’s called SouthSide Studios which I founded in 2013. I run the studio which houses about 20 other artists working in a variety of media. My studio hours are dictated by the fact that I have a 10 year old in public school. I get to the studio by 8am, Monday through Friday. I work until 3 most days and later when I have the opportunity. I spend time there on weekends when I can. On average I spend about 40-50 hours a week in the studio.
I work in a rhythm. It starts with making clay, slips, glazes and washing ash for glazes. I then make pots. I usually have the pots I want to make laid out by weeks. This is dictated partly by orders and deadlines. This system seems to give me structure and keep me from becoming overwhelmed with too much to do. For example, I will lay out the month of making by Week 1: slab pots, Week 2: mugs and drip cones, Week 3: pitchers and animal pots, Week 4 thrown bowls and teacups. This is never rigid and I ALWAYS make or do something new in every cycle. When the making is complete I bisque fire all the pots. Then I glaze and decorate all the pots. They are now ready for the final firing. I fire the pots in a gas reduction kiln at the studio. The firing lasts about 10 hours. The kiln cools for a day and then I unload the pots. All the pots get their bottoms sanded to make them smooth. They then get washed and priced.
Everyday I am in my studio I feel grateful and lucky. So grateful that I do what I love for a living. It takes a strict discipline and sacrifice of certain things but they are all worth it. I will be making pots in my studio, listening to music with my dog and drinking coffee thinking – “I am at work right now!” I work hard and it feels easy.
Iron + White “V” Lidded Elephant Jar by Melissa Weiss Pottery
Purchase Melissa’s work at our upcoming bazaar or on her website here
We are off to Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this weekend! If you plan to come check out this awesome indie craft explosion, please come say hi! We will be at booth #167. Our booth will be chock full of handmade goodies by a variety of artists from our shop, including some favorites like Horrible Adorables, New Academy Press, Noosed Kitty, Kristin Tercek, Paper Sparrow, and Julie Moon!
We just wanted to thank everyone that played a part in making the Art Star Craft Bazaar such a huge success! Our small weekend staff, Philebrity, volunteers, the bands, our community partners and sponsors, all the vendors, DRWC – there are too many people to list! Most of all, we want to thank YOU, our customers, for coming out in droves to shop handmade and support so many talented makers. We REALLY loved how many of you Instagramed your purchases – that was so awesome to see. Please keep sharing. We especially love seeing your purchases in action – hanging on the wall, being worn, used, etc. Be sure to #artstarcraftbazaar so we can see them all!
Here are some of our favorite customer pics from the weekend – enjoy! And please continue to support our vendors by going to this link to be directed to all their websites. We’ll keep our vendor page up throughout the year. And don’t forget – we carry work by many ascb artists, so come by the store to shop in person, year round!
@alison_lucile shared a pic of a whole bunch of goodies that she picked up at the bazaar. I see a Xenotees Pizza Tank, Red Prairie Press top, Anthropolis Design Print, Andrew Zangerle Drawing, T-Rex by Lenny Mud, print from the 50/50 Company and a few more gems.
@babyjives and her kiddos picking up some felt masks from Opposite of Far@caitlinthetoute picked up a new tank from Wear Liberty!@chrissylicious shared her entire bazaar haul! Lots of good stuff there – Olive + Bo, The Maple Ridge, Laura George (from us), Leroy’s Place, Trinity Framing, etc.Another good haul from @elle_melinda – I spy Seeing In Fabric, Cut + Paste Photobooth, Nice Things Handmade, Mai Autumn, Paper Sparrow (from us), Kayte Terry and more!@kittfraser looks great in her new Jay McCarroll Top!@leeannfenderson in her new necklace by Old Blood Designs@nilorthenile scored these awesome Bowie cufflinks by Leroy’s Place@soydark shared her new woodcut by Red Light Press@staceydoespics posed in a felt unicorn mask by Opposite of Far and one of our Unicorn masks made by CherryBoxand last, but not least, @youmisheardme lookin’ cute in a Better Than Jam handprinted dress
Thank you again to all of our customers for supporting us + our vendors and for generally just being awesome and having great taste!
I cannot believe the Art Star Craft Bazaar is in just a few days! Time flies so fast! Oddly enough, we are totally ahead of the game + prepared! Here is a little interview we did with first time bazaar vendor, Demaris Howe of Bmore Papercuts. Her intricate cut paper pieces really wowed us, so of course we wanted to learn more. Visit her at booth # 44 this weekend!
Art Star: What will you be selling at the Bazaar? Demaris Howe: I will be selling one of a kind papercuts that I design and cut by hand, I will also be selling prints made from my original papercuts as well as some limited edition t shirts for men and women.
AS: Describe your process. DH: I begin by sketching my ideas – then I fold my paper and cut what I can that will be symmetrical and then unfold the piece and cut anything that is not symmetrical like words or images.
AS: Are you professionally trained? If not, how did you learn your craft? DH: I have a fine arts background but the way I got into papercutting was from working as a shadow puppeteer for 10 years with a Baltimore based visual arts organization- We made hundreds of shadow puppets and I made the connection between silhouettes and
papercutting mostly as a way to make gifts for friends.
AS: Are you able to make your work full time? If not, what do you do for a day job? DH: I have transitioned into papercutting full time over the last year.
AS: Where would you like to see your craft business in the next 10 years? DH: I would love to be using my papercuts to design textiles, surface design and I would love to do some book illustrations.
AS: Any exciting projects in the works? DH: I have some fun large scale papercuts in the works for some restaurants in DC and Baltimore.
AS: What is your favorite thing(s) about Philadelphia? DH: The Mummers Parade and Spiral Q Puppets!!!
AS: What are you reading / listening to? DH: I love listening to podcasts while I work- My favorites are Professor Blastoff, Comedy Bang Bang, How Did this get Made and of course After the Jump from Design Sponge!
Red Light Press is Marcus Benavides’ Fine Art Printing Press that specializes in limited edition woodcuts, lithographs and other prints on paper. This will be Marcus’ first year participating in our Art Star Craft Bazaar, so we were interested in learning more about him. Visit his booth #50 at our upcoming bazaar or check out his website
Art Star: What will you be selling at the bazaar? Marcus Benavides: I’ll be selling Woodcut and Lithographic prints.
AS. Describe your process. MB: I carve tiny marks into wood, roll those carvings up with oil based inks, and reproduce the images on paper. I also draw images on Bavarian Lithographic Limestones, chemically alter the stones with acids and solutions, roll the image up with ink, and print the image on paper. Both of these methods are printed with the help of Lula, a 100 year old, cast-iron, hand-cranked printing press.
AS: Are you professionally trained? MB:I received a BFA, MA, and an MFA in printmaking. I’ve been making prints for 10 years and I’ve been making art as far back as I can remember. Years of honing my craft, sharpening pencils, and grinding down stones can only stem from a love of hard work and printing beautiful images.
AS: Are you able to make your work full time? If not, what is your day job? MB: Sadly, I am not. I work at a commercial print-shop here in Philly.
AS: Where would you like to see your craft business in 10 years? MB:Owning a printing press allows me to make multiples of not only my own work, but collaborations with fellow artists. I would like to see Red Light Press’s expanding portfolio include more collaborative prints. I want to provide an artistic outlet for the ideas of like-minded individuals. Today, this is achievable with local artists; however, in the future I hope to build a fund for visiting, nationally-recognized artists.
AS: Any exciting projects in the works? MB: I am currently in conversations with two local artists about printing collaborative prints. That, and I’m working on a new piece entitled “Surf Mothers Must Die!”
AS: What is your favorite thing about Philadelphia? MB: Dim Sum Garden’s soup dumplings.
AS: What are some of the inspirations for your work? MB: I’m inspired most by the things that scare us as civilized beings; Indecency, the Grotesque, the Occult, Rebellious Behavior, Moralizing Folklore, and the Sleaze and Grime of back-alley cultures. I’m also influenced by the pop culture and cartoons of my childhood.
AS: What are you reading / listening to? MB:I listen to a lot of early Blues and Rock & Roll music. Mostly stuff from the 30’s to 50’s. But my taste runs the gamut of music genres.
AS: Anything fun readers might be interested in knowing about you or your business? MB: I grew up in South Texas. I have a rifle-scope scar on my left brow. That, and I have a collection of voodoo and Mexican witchcraft paraphernalia.
The Art Star Craft Bazaar is less than 1 month away!! With around 140 amazing artists/crafters participating, it is easy to become overwhelmed and want to buy everything! We recommend coming to the show with a game plan. We will be sharing ASCB Shopping Lists until the big day (May 10th/11th), so you can come with a plan of attack. Today’s shopping list is devoted to clothing b/c we have a pretty large group of vendors in this category this year. This shopping list does not include screen printed T-shirts, onesies, etc – I will devote a post to them in the coming weeks!
We have a slew of vendors selling unique, fashion forward clothes just in time for you to freshen up your spring/summer wardrobe! Which one of these vendors are you excited to check out? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!
1. Pretty Snake Joseph Aaron Segal is the genius behind this line of cool clothing. He had me at CATS! But seriously, his prints are amazing! He is on my personal ascb shopping list this year. Joseph was a contestant on Season 11 of Project Runway and currently teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. This will be his first year participating in our bazaar.
2. Meerwiibli This line of clothing is expertly hand made in Phoenicia, NY by the lovely Sarah-Maria Vischer-Masino. Sarah-Maria recently opened up a shop called the Tailored Mermaid in Beacon, NY, which showcases clothing & accessories handmade by Sarah and other talented designers. She will be setting up a Tailored Mermaid pop up shop at the bazaar so she will also be selling clothing by Snoozer Loser, Vilma Mare and Quel Theatre.
3. Rebe by Debra Weiss We are happy to welcome back Art Star Craft Bazaar alum, Debra Weiss who is the talented woman behind the clothing line, Rebe. Each piece is truly a wearable work of art and her line is a favorite among ascb shoppers. Debra’s clothing is sold exclusively at craft markets and her daughter (and booth mate!) Hillery Sproatt’s online shop called Specks & Keepings. Don’t miss this chance to shop her line in person!
4. Temperate creates ethically responsible and timeless pieces made from 100% organic cotton and non-toxic, plant based dye. The clothing is not only beautiful but also comfortable and designed to be worn in a temperate, two-season climate. Their production process is low impact and their clothing is grown, milled & sewn in the USA so you can feel good about your purchase. This will be Temperate’s first time participating in our bazaar and we are excited to check out their clothes in person!
5. Megan Auman I have had Megan Auman’s leggings on my wishlist for a while now and I plan to finally pick up a pair at the bazaar. I love the colorful, painterly prints the she has designed for these. She has a bunch of different colors & patterns. I am having a hard time choosing which ones to get…. These prints are also available on clutches, pillows, and scarves. Plus, she makes incredible steel jewelry. She is a very talented lady and I am always looking forward to seeing what she makes next.
There are so many great clothing vendors this year that I have decided to break this up into two posts. Soooo, To be continued…………
This past weekend was the opening of Waterfront Winterfest – a season long holiday celebration that marks the 20th Anniversary of the Blue Cross River Rink. It is truly a winter wonderland that will get you and your family in the holiday spirit. Plan to come for the entire Winterfest experience, which includes our Art Star Holiday Market (12 craft vendors selling within mini pop up shops, including Art Star!), The Lodge Bar + Restaurant, cozy Fire Pits where you can make s’mores, an incredible light show that begins at 5 every night and runs every hour, and of course – ice skating!! Take a little tour of Winterfest through these photos + be sure to come check it out in person! And come back often b/c we will have a new mix of craft vendors each day (see website for complete schedule.
Photo by Matt StanleyPhoto by Matt Stanley
Our vendors are set up within the recycled shipping containers that line the front perimeter of The Lodge Pop Up Restaurant + Bar. It is not your typical craft show set up. It is a smaller line-up of artists, but each have created their own mini shop within the containers. We invited only the best vendors who all create quality and unique handmade goods. We also tried to make sure we had a good mix of items each day, so there is something for everyone.
Photo by Matt Stanleyphoto by Mitchell Leff
The recycled shipping containers create the walls of The Lodge Pop Up Restaurant, which is in the center and covered with a giant warming tent. It is nice + cozy inside. The food is by Award Winning chef, George Sabatino who is also known for creating the menu at Morgan’s Pier. My favorite has been the Sweet Potato and Kale Pocket Pies with a spiked hot cider. The restaurant opens at 5pm weekdays and 11am on weekends.
photo by Matt Stanley
There are also grab + go concession stands open the entire time where you can get sandwiches by Sardine Bar, hot chocolate, spiced chai, coffee, chocolate covered popcorn, and more.
photo by Matt Stanley
Winterfest is very family friendly. There are roaming performers, hoopers, stilt walkers, etc that will be sure to entertain the kiddos. If your kids are old enough, send them off ice skating or to the indoor arcade while you shop and grab an adult beverage!
photo by Matt Stanley
Get cozy around the fire pits and make some s’mores! If you are coming after 5, the light show is a definite must see!!
photo by Mitchell Leff
Don’t forget about the ice skating! The music they have playing is all really good too.
One thing I do recommend is to find street parking, walk, or take public transportation. The parking fee is $15, which is okay if you plan on staying for the whole day but if you just plan on coming for a few hours, there are plenty of other options. There is no fee to come to Winterfest, unless you are parking in the lot or ice skating. We hope to see you there!!
This is an instagram GiveAway for Opening Day of the Art Star Holiday Market! You can win 2 comp ice skating admission tickets (this does not include skate rentals) PLUS an Art Star Gift Certificate. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Follow us on Instagram @artstarphilly
2. Share Photo with tag @artstarphilly + #artstarholidaymkt (Be sure to update your privacy settings so we can see your post when we search the hash tag!)
3. We will randomly choose one person to win the week of the opening!
Must be able to pick up your winnings at The Art Star Holiday Market on 11/29 to use that day!
The first Art Star Holiday Market weekend is coming soon – Black Friday through December 1st! Here is a little teaser of the types of goodies you will be able to buy. Check out the opening weekend’s full vendor lineup on the website!
Left to Right: Julie Moon, Peg + Awl, Cutesy but not Cutesy, Typothecary Letterpress, Hannah’s, Fuzzy Ink, Boutique Textiles, Yardsale Press, Inedible Jewelry
Shop for the perfect holiday gifts in recycled storage containers, ice skate, grab a beer + drink from The Lodge pop up Restaurant, enjoy a light show by Klip Collective, sit around the fire pits & make some s’mores + so much more – all in one spot! Free to attend!!
Check out our FACEBOOK invite, let us know if you can come & help spread the word!
