Tag: philadelphia

Meet New ASCB Vendor, Julia Walther!

Well hello there! I’m Julia Walther and I make pottery in Washington, DC.

My journey with pottery began nearly six years ago during my senior year of college when my ceramics professor told us that clay can do anything, you just have to ask it at the right time. That mix of constraints and possibilities is a large part of why I’m so in love with ceramics.

I throw almost all of my work on the wheel using a porcelaneous stoneware that’s a beautiful creamy color when fired. I then spend most of my time decorating those pieces with slips and colored underglazes and carving back through the layers to reveal the bare clay underneath. In the midst of those decorative choices, I’m constantly surprised by threads of ideas that can lead my work down completely new paths.

The cacti decorations have come out of my appreciation of papercutting, and other folk crafts that use abstracted shapes to convey stories and show evidence of the human hand. I also really enjoy carving out the spikes!

After the glaze firing, I’ll choose a few pieces to which I’ll apply metallic luster accents and do another firing specifically for that. So your pot may have had a trial by fire three times before it ends up in your hands.

I work alongside about twenty artists working at Red Dirt Studio, a repurposed firehouse just outside Washington, DC. I love the community we’ve established through weekly seminar meetings and by sharing the building. It’s easy to accidentally isolate yourself as an artist, so I’m glad to have this flow of interesting people around my studio space.

At the same time, this is also the first instance in my career where I’ve had freedom to call nearly all the shots. I want to spend the precious time I have in the studio actually making work and taking care of my body to prevent injuries from overwork. In the last year, that has meant switching to a commercially produced pre-mixed clay, and changing the firing temperature of my work so I can use electric kilns, which tend to be more compatible with an urban environment. Additionally, for the past three years I’ve been throwing standing up, which will hopefully prevent future back issues related to sitting and leaning forward (the worst possible position for your back!).

Pots are special because they can be both a sculpture and a canvas. I’ve found a lot of joy in scribbling on the surfaces of my pots, freezing the movement of a hand in time. I’m excited about creating those juicy points of interest that ask you to turn the pot in your hands to soak up the details while you eat your meal or admire your flowers or engage with the piece in any other way. The last step of making pottery is getting it into the hands of the user, and that’s where a new adventure begins.

This will be my first year at the Art Star Craft Bazaar, and I’m so looking forward to the show! I’d love it if you stopped on by Booth #59 and said hello.

April 28, 2015
Meet New ASCB Vendor Daniel Knoll and His Company, My Audio Tree

80% of the worlds forests are already gone. Audio Tree is trying to change that by planting a tree for every product sold. “Play One! Plant One!”

Audio Tree founder Daniel Knoll creates handmade wood products for smartphones and tablets, most notably the signature Iphone acoustic amplifier/docking station. He has over 15 years of woodworking and sound engineering experience which led to the development of Audio Tree LLC.

These speakers have been tested in a professional recording studio and proven to double the sound of your phone’s speaker using “passive amplification” meaning there are no electronics involved. Some have been designed to allow you to charge your phone by running your own charger through the speaker.

Hand selecting exotic woods, and tone-woods, carefully monitoring the moisture content and density are just some of the examples of the attention to detail that is put into every piece. Daniel uses age-old woodworking techniques along with modern day trade secrets. He has even had to have custom made tools in order to create some of his designs.

For the first time Audio Tree will be at the Art Star Craft Bazaar early next month! Stop by the booth (#13) to see these pieces in person and find out more about Audio Tree and “Play One! Plant One!” You can also visit www.myaudiotree.com if you just can’t wait to see more!

April 17, 2015
Meet Bobby + Sara of Just A Jar Design Press!

Just A Jar Design Press is a letterpress & design studio run by Bobby & Sara Rosenstock. We have a large studio in the historic river town of Marietta, Ohio. We do a range of different things as a business, but for this post we will focus on our woodcut & letterpress prints.

We create fine art prints as well as gig posters that have all been commissioned for the actual events. Just about all of our prints are limited edition which means they are signed and numbered, & when they all sell we don’t print any more.

The process begins with a pencil drawing to scale, which is then traced on to tracing paper so I can flip the image to reverse (woodblocks need to be carved in reverse). I make a plan for colors, typically written out in the margins of the drawing. Each color is carved on it’s own block typically, (I do some reductive printing but won’t get into that here). Using carbon paper I transfer the drawing onto pieces of birch plywood. I then carve the blocks for each color.

The woodblocks are all manually printed on my Vandercook SP20 press, from the 1960s. I do a separate run for each color. If the print includes text, I will set some of my lead & wood type onto the press, & print that as a separate run.

Typesetting is a craft of it’s own. I feel overwhelmed by the options when designing on the computer, but when I’m setting type, I’m limited by the size and typefaces in my collection. I also find that when I can touch it with my hands I can understand it better. Some of our wood type is over 150 years old, & I want that history to be represented in the work.

It’s a pretty slow and meticulous process, depending on the detail, a print can take anywhere from 40 to 100 hours to complete. Planning is a big part of the process, but I also think its important for some parts of the print to be spontaneous & of the moment. I enjoy the controlled rawness of the medium, and I want the labor of the process to come through in the image.

We are really excited to be returning to Philly in May for the Art Star Craft Bazaar. We do lots of art fairs each year but our very first one was Art Star in 2009. We haven’t been back since our daughter was born in 2012, so are thrilled to be participating this year. Come stop by our tent and say hello. If you want to see more of what we do you can find us here:

www.justajar.com
www.facebook.com/justajardesignpress
www.instagram.com/justajar/
www.twitter.com/justajarpress

April 8, 2015
Upcoming Exhibition: Same Same by Keith + Rita Greiman

We are pleased to present an exhibition with Philadelphia based husband + wife artists, Keith and Rita Greiman. The duo will be exhibiting their own individual works as well as collaborative pieces. The exhibition will be on view from April 18^th – June 21^st, 2015. There will be an opening reception with the artists on Saturday, April 18^th from 6-8pm. The reception is free and open to the public and will include light refreshments.

Keith and Rita Greiman will present an all new body of playful and vibrant works, drawing inspiration from the humor and absurdity of life’s everyday objects and events. The show will include Keith’s acrylic on wood paintings and 3D wood figures, which feature a cast of quirky and animated characters that are brightly colored and evoke a childlike quality. Set against flatly painted patterned backgrounds, the floating figures and objects populating the pieces appear anything but innocent though. Rita’s mixed media dioramas mirror the childlike, yet twisted quality of Keith’s work, containing glitter coated army men, food, and animals. In addition to their individual pieces, they will be exhibiting new works together which combine their shared vision and include patterns, floating objects and characters, real and supernatural. The couple will also be painting a large mural together on one of the exhibition walls. This will be their first time showing at Art Star.

Keith Warren Greiman lives and works in Philadelphia, PA. His bright and animated images of real and supernatural beings depict life, captured in experience, being ascendant, melancholic and at all times wild. Keith’s work has been shown in various galleries and publications from all over and everywhere. Some clients include LA Times, Village Voice, Newsweek, the Fader, Ace Hotels, Fantagraphics, the Utne Reader, and Willamete Week. His work has been recognized by American Illustration, The Society of Illustrators and Graphis.

Originally from Irvine, California, Rita Greiman currently resides in Philadelphia where she has been for thirteen years. Through the years, Rita has done various works as a seamstress, illustrator, upholsterer, and designer. She studied in the School of Visual Arts at Pennsylvania State University as well as the College of Communications. She has worked in several media and currently combines painting, sculpture, and found objects to create playful dioramas that are often centered around animals, glitter army men, and food.

April 4, 2015
Art Star Pop Up Market at Spruce Street Harbor Park

We are excited to announce that our Art Star Pop Up Market will be back at Spruce Street Harbor Park this Summer Season! The Market will take place every Saturday from May 23rd – September 26th from 11-4pm and will feature the work of up to 20 curated art + craft vendors. Each participating vendor will be set up al fresco style under a tree lined walkway within the popular park. Shoppers can expect a variety of handmade goods at an affordable price range and the vendor line-up will change each day.

The Spruce Harbor Park is located along the Delaware River between Lombard and Walnut Streets. The park features a pop up restaurant and bar, a boardwalk, games, live music, family friendly activities and the most popular attraction – HAMMOCKS! Apparently, the SSHP hammocks were THE PLACE to take a selfie in Philadelphia last summer!

Bonnie Kaye Studio staged a picnic at last year’s market and displayed all her goods on butchers paper. http://www.bonniekayestudio.com/

APPLY TO BE A VENDOR!
We are now accepting submissions for the first few weeks of our Art Star Pop Up Market. Each vendor will receive an 10′ wide x 5′ deep space. Vendors are required to bring everything else needed for set up and display. You may bring a tent (though it is not required) but must leave 5′ of your tent open for customers to walk through. For this show, we are going for relaxed, beach vibes, so you are welcome to go all out with your display or you could simply just bring a blanket and lay out your goods on the ground! We are charging vendors $35 per space / per day.

We are now accepting applications for the following dates: May 23rd, May 30th, June 6th. (Look out for another Call for Vendors for all the later dates)

How To Apply:
Email us at info@artstarphilly.com with “SSHP Submission” in the subject of the email
Attach 3-5 digital images of samples of the items you wish to sell
Include a link to your website or etsy page
List the date(s) you would like to participate on

DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THE ABOVE DATES IS April 30th, midnight.
You will notified of your acceptance by Friday, May 1st.

April 2, 2015
NoLibs Sidewalk Sale This Weekend!

It’s spring cleaning time so that means SALES SALES SALES! We need to make room for all the new items we are getting in. We got together with our neighborhood retailers to offer up a weekend of discounts. This is the best time to shop in Northern Liberties!

We will be sticking our clearance items out on the sidewalk for you to rummage through. Clearance stuff will be marked up to 80% off. All regular prices goods inside will be 20% off and we will take an additional 10% off indoor sale items.

Also participating are Agora, Bloom, City Planter, Once Worn Consignment, Ritual Ritual, and Swag. So grab your favorite shopping buddies and head over to Northern Liberties for a day of shopping this weekend! Visit our FB event invite to see the type of discounts each shop is offering.

Fuel up at our following faves:

Quick Bites/Coffee/Tea: Soy Cafe, Random Tea Room, One Shot Coffee
Breakfast/Brunch: Honey’s or Cafe La Maude
Good Beer or Cocktails: Abbaye, Jerry’s, 700 Club
Dinner/Lunchy Noms: Abbaye or Bourbon + Branch (good cocktails too)

March 25, 2015
Affordable Art for your Walls

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for spring! I am sick of spending so much time indoors……Unfortunately, I think we have a few more weeks of cold and blah. Since I’ve been inside so much, I’ve been dreaming about redecorating my own space and hanging some new prints. Here are some of my favorites from the shop that are sure to bring some pops of color and happiness to your walls and (hopefully) a temporary cure for the winter blues. Most are motivational and remind me of sunny days to come, others just put a smile on my face.

This print is of an original piece titled “Root” from Jen Corace’s solo exhibition at Art Star. It is an archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle 100% cotton rag paper. We use Silicon Fine Art Printing here in Philadelphia, so it is extremely high quality. It is a signed, limited edition of 100 and is $40. Buy it Here.

You’ll see there is a theme here. I have plants and nature on my brain. This print is by Minneapolis based artist, Amy Rice. Amy is a prolific artists whose work we’ve carried since we opened in 2004. She is one of our absolute favorites! Luckily for my wallet, Amy offers a line of affordable art prints like this one. She enjoys painting/printing on antique letters, journal entries, maps and even high end wallpaper, like this one. This is a hand set and hand pulled letterpress print. I just love it! $40 Buy it here.

Another floral piece with a motivational phrase. I need it this time of year! I love Mai Autumn’s delicate watercolors, they are so beautiful! This one will also add a nice pop of color to any room! This piece is available in both 8×10 and 11×14, which are both standard frame sizes. Printed with archival inks on Canon Pro Luster Pape and $20/$35, depending on which size you choose. Buy it here.

A daily reminder – ha! Plus, it makes me laugh a little b/c there are seriously bobby pins all over my house. In the oddest places too! For this reason, I think they are the bane of my husband’s existence. Just kidding. This is a screenprint by Bryan Sculthorpe of Yardsale Press, who I fondly refer to as “talls” because he is a giant and I am a midget. Just $15 – buy it here.

My husband and I have already begun planning our camping trips! This reminds me that in a few months we’ll be sleeping under the stars. I. cannot. wait. This is an 11×17″ poster illustrated by Andrea Lauren of Paper Sparrow and it is printed with vegetable + soy based inks. $18. Buy it here.

And finally, this gem. Because I love art with a sense of humor most of all. It is titled “Reflecting Pool of Shame”. It is a reproduction of an original painting on top of a photograph by Mauro Biaocco of Naughty + Nice. It was printed using archival ink and paper. Don’t lie, you’ve been there! $20 Buy it here.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my favorite Art Star prints and maybe you are inspired to pick out your own. What are your favorites? Shop our online collection here. Or stop on by – there is WAY more in the actual store.

February 25, 2015
Our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide!

Looking for a unique gift for your special someone on Valentine’s Day? Look no further. We’ve put together a list of handcrafted goodies that will make your girl or guy’s day!

First, start with the card! We’ve got a huge selection of hilariously adorable ones by Laura Berger. $4.50 each

Does your lady have a devilish side? How about this Angel/ Devil Ring by Kasie Strohm. Handcrafted from sterling silver with a gold fill halo. $32, various sizes.

This piece by Amy Rice is a hand painted Gocco print of a lillium on correspondance from 1911, how romantic! $60

Looking for something a little less serious? How about this wood heart handpainted with acrylic by The Maple Ridge. Features a saw tooth hook on the back for easy hanging. This art piece is also extremely affordable, at just $40!

Speaking of hearts, we love these anatomically correct ones by Julie Moon. Made from sculpted porcelain, painted gold luster and decals, these brooches can be pinned to your sweetheart’s coat and kept close to his/her own heart! $50 each

Your lady is a total fox and so are you! So pick up this Fox Love Pendant by Audrey Laine Collection. Hand cut from sheet brass and hung from an 18″ sterling silver chain. $65

Your boyfriend (like us sadly) spends far too much time watching cat videos on the internet. I think he needs this belt buckle featuring cats barfing rainbows. Though, who doesn’t need one of these. $24.

Cock Tee. That’s all you need to know. Get it for your man. $28

You just moved in together! Pick up this screen print by Yardsale Press and hang it in your new bathroom, cuz its official! (Also available are Hers + Hers and His + His. I don’t have them online yet but they are available in store. If you’d like to purchase one of those online, just email us) $15

Our regulars know that we will gift wrap your purchases for free, happily! However, if you are weird like me and LOVE to gift wrap, pick up this gorgeous screen printed paper by Bonnie Kaye Studios and Do It Yourself! Or let us do it for you! $6 per roll.

Those are just a few great Valentine’s Day gifts ideas, we’ve got tons more. Come on by and we’ll help you pick something special out. xo – Megan

February 11, 2015
Art Star Craft Bazaar + Grid Magazine Partnership

We’re excited to announce that Art Star Craft Bazaar is partnering with Grid Magazine, and fellow craft fair entrepreneurs Go West!, and Crafty Balboa to produce a unique media partnership designed to further our shared goal of building a thriving craft community in Philadelphia.

Grid, a free, award winning publication dedicated to promoting sustainability, is publishing a special 16 page section insert all about Art Star Craft Bazaar, Go West! and Crafty Balboa. 30k copies of the issue will hit newsstands, coffee houses, and other retail outlets across the SE region by late March. In addition, Grid will be set up at each of our events distributing copies as well.

Last year, Grid created an insert promoting Go West Craft Fest! and it was a huge success. We are so excited that they chose to also include us this year! Go here to see a sample of their insert last year to get an idea of what this year’s will look like.

This is a highly targeted opportunity to promote your local business.Your ads will not only be seen by thousands of Grid’s devoted readers, they will play a big part in helping us collectively promote our community-building events. A double win!

If you place your ad by February 13th, you will receive an early bird discount of 10% off. Final ad deadline is March 6th. If you are interested in placing an ad, please contact us. We’ll send you all the sizes and rates!

January 30, 2015
NoLibs + Fishtown Holiday Shopping Spree

The annual NoLibs Holiday Shopping Spree is back and this year we’ve expanded to include our friends in Fishtown! Mark your calendars for the largest Holiday Spree to date!

Art Star is pleased to present the annual Holiday Shopping Spree, which will be held on Saturday, December 6^th from 11-8pm and Sunday, December 7^th from 11-6pm. The spree will take place in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia and has expanded this year to include Fishtown shops as well. 16 retail shops will be participating in the spree. The more you shop at each location, the more you save!

Here is how the spree works:
1st Participating Store: Customer receives 10% off their purchase + a spree card w/ one sticker on it

2nd Store: Customer shows spree card w/ 1 sticker & gets 15% off their purchase + a 2nd sticker

3rd Store: Customer shows spree card w/ 2 stickers & gets 20% off their purchase + a 3rd sticker

Once the customer’s spree card has 3 stickers, they will receive 25% off at any additional participating store that they shop at throughout the event.

Participating Shops
NoLibs: City Planter, Philly Phaithful, Ritual Ritual, Art Star, Casa Papel, Once Worn Consignment, Bloom, Swag Boutique, Jinxed at The Piazza

Fishtown: The Art Dept, Adorn Boutique + Showroom, Toile, Catch & Release Merchants, Craft Foundry, Jinxed Fishtown, Two Percent To Glory

The spree was conceived in 2006 by local retailers Art Star, Arcadia Boutique, and Conspiracy Showroom as a way to encourage shoppers to support independent boutiques in the Northern Liberties neighborhood. Now in its 8^th year, the spree has become a shopping tradition for hundreds of Philadelphians looking for unique gifts to give for the holiday season!

Each shop will be serving up light refreshments and plenty of holiday cheer! Support your local independent retailers this holiday season!

Special thanks to friends + neighbors at Liberties Parcel for sponsoring this event!

November 18, 2014