in preparing for this epic indie craft show, we’re looking for sponsors! if you’re a cincinnati business or a crafty business or just a supporter of craft, you can reserve a space in our show program and reach out to the hundreds of people we expect for this show.
A quarter page (2 3/8 x 3 7/8 inches) is $20
A half page (5 x 3 7/8 inches) is $35
A full page (5 x 8 inches) is $60
We’re also collecting promo items for our swag bags, which is a great way to reach our crafty audience. For more info, or to reserve your space, contact me at grace dot dobush at gmail dot com.
I made it out to Indianapolis this weekend for the third annual INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, and was it ever worth it! I’d been to the first one, which was much smaller and in a not-so-great venue, and I was so happy to see how it’s blossomed. There were more than 70 vendors in this multi-level art center. I don’t know how I managed to not break the bank. Some of my fave sights:
Studio AMF makes these amazing rings out of fine woods—and, yes, that is a real shell embedded in the ring.
Holy crap, what a response! Alisha and I have our work cut out for us, but we will notify all vendor applicants whether they were accepted for Crafty Supermarket by Oct. 10. There is no doubt in our minds that this is going to be a kick-ass craft show.
Gather your thoughts, round up your pix, get your typin’ hat on and submit your work! The deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 30. When the clock strikes 12, we will all turn into pumpkins and fire up the old Excel to start digging in!
This discussion can get pretty esoteric really fast, but it’s worth addressing. Crafty Supermarket is an indie craft show—not a craft show, not an art show. What’s the difference?
The lines are fine, but I think of indie crafters as people who work outside the system as much as possible. Making stuff by hand, using unique materials and doing it themselves.
I addressed this very topic in my book, Crafty Superstar, because the “indie” term gets thrown around so much lately:
Some people say screenprinted T-shirts aren’t handmade enough to be DIY. Others include vintage wares under the indie umbrella. Some exclude wares created with mainstream craft kits. Some indie crafts are one-of-a-kind. Some are made entirely from scratch. Some blur the line between fine art and traditional craft. Some blur the line between trash and treasure.
I think of “indie” (stemming from independent) as the visual contradiction of combining granny craft techniques with punk sensibilities. A classic example of indie craft (that’s been completely co-opted by big box stores) is a knit scarf with pink skulls on it.
Indie craft is really similar to indie music in terms of exclusivity. When it’s underground and exclusive, the look has the organic street cred corporate types salivate over. Eventually, the trend catches on with the general public, gets diluted and overdone, and by that point it’s totally over.
When it comes down to figuring out whether you fit in a scene or under the indie umbrella, the most important thing is to stay true to your ideals and aesthetic. Who says you need a label, anyway? (And the indie musicians would totally agree.)
You can learn a lot more about the indie craft movement in Faythe Levine’s documentary “Handmade Nation.” Faythe talked to a lot of the movers and shakers in the craft world, and the film is finally touring the US! (And I interviewed her for my book!)
Cincinnati is gonna get rocked this fall by Crafty Supermarket, the first indie craft show in the ‘nati! Mark your calendars: Crafty Supermarket is going down 12-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21.
crafty supermarket! 