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Products from The Wild Wander Co. (Photo courtesy Maker's Market)
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Claire Parrish Pottery (Photo courtesy Maker's Market)
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Little Nomad Apparel (Photo courtesy Maker's Market)
What began as a warehouse art party that artist and blogger Mandy Fitzgerald and others organized as a thank-you to the community has leveled up this year. Maker’s Market, helmed by Fitzgerald and Alex Cottles, founder of The Routine Creative, brand strategist and web designer, will be hosted at the Hofheimer Building in Scott’s Addition Aug. 3, 6 to 10 p.m. Fitzgerald says the evening is slated to be a festive, Richmond-centered event free of charge, and a “celebration of the Richmond art community.” Twenty hand-picked local artisans and their meticulous work will steal the show.
Richmond magazine: How did the Maker’s Market come to be?
Mandy Fitzgerald: Last July, a bunch of my friends in this group called Tuesdays Together, a group of entrepreneurs in Richmond, wanted to put together an art show. Last year, we did it at Paisley & Jade and called it Creative Marketplace RVA. Then we said, let’s see if we can take this to the next level, so we picked the Hofheimer, which is freaking awesome. Thanks to our sponsors, we’re giving goodie bags to the first 300 people.
RM: What’s the process behind choosing artists?
Fitzgerald: We had submissions up until June 1. We wanted to have a wide variety and to have as many different categories as we could. We’ve got jewelry artists; we’ve got painters. This one company, called Little Nomad, makes kids’ clothes, and they’re adorable. … We tried to pick people who’ve done shows before so they know how to set up their space, but we do have some that it will be their first time.
RM: Who are a few standouts?
Fitzgerald: Claire Parrish Pottery. … She has [this] beautiful [collection], she calls them “warm, white pottery.” She scratches on them, and she makes these really pretty vases and hanging plant holders for succulents — I’m obsessed. … Morris and Norris, [they] make these wooden cutouts of … buildings in Richmond and paint them. Bonfire RVA is another good one. They make black-and-white pen-and-ink drawings of Richmond, along with stickers. BRK ReDesign makes frames from reclaimed wood that they find in abandoned buildings, and they make them and frame them with local art. It’s as hipster as you can get; it’s going to be fun.
