New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Pop-up markets at Guilford Art Center offer crafts, relaxed vibe
GUILFORD — Jewelry, woodworking, candles, sea glass, soap and ceramics will be represented at the Guilford Art Center Summer Shopping Pop Up Series, as the courtyard of the art center is transformed into a mini expo.
The event is planned for Saturday, June 25 and July 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 411 Church St., Guilford, rain or shine.
Admission is free and open to the public. For more information call 203-453-5947 or visit guilfordartcenter.org.
The event was created during COVID and was so successful it is being continued with new and returning artists.
“It was fun,” said Belden. “It was great last year.”
“We started it because we didn’t have the craft expo the past two years and we thought it would be a way of supporting some local artists, some craft expo artists, who were close enough to come just for a weekend day and have some sort of a sale,” she said.
After a two-year hiatus, the Guilford Craft Expo is scheduled for this year, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 15-17.
Jewelry designer Susan Roberts is returning for a second year to the pop-up event, on Saturday, June 25.
Other artists joining her are Mountain Tree Studios jewelry, Stacey Burwell leather, Andy Teran wood and Maira Wickert ceramics.
On Saturday, July 30 the pop-up event will host Lauren Mullaney jewelry, Agnes Whitten candles, Strange Charm Glass, Clay Story CT ceramics, Natalie Gandolfo jewelry and Foxglove Soap Co.
“It was definitely fun,” Roberts said. “A lot of my local people came out and because I grew up in Guilford there were some people that just stopped by because they knew me, so that was cool, too.”
The Branford artist talked about the small, intimate feeling at the pop-up.
“It’s a small place,” she said. “You don’t have to fight for parking, there’s a nice array of different artists.”
“It’s fun, the art center’s fun,” she said. “It was great to just be a part of a small gathering, so you could just talk to people and see what they have to offer and hang out for a little bit. It’s a nice small market.”
Guilford Art Center is a nonprofit organization that inspires and promotes community participation in the visual arts through education, exhibitions, and outreach.
Belden is buoyed by the support of the community.
“This is an area that really likes to support the arts and handmade things,” she said.
“I think more people are making things and more people want to support artists,” she added. “If it’s true that we’re buying and needing fewer things, since the pandemic has simplified so many of our lives, maybe the things that we’re collecting are more meaningful, more special or the things we’re giving to people are more special.”
Guilford Art Center Summer ⏩ Shopping Pop Up Series, 411 Church St., Guilford, 203-453-5947; guilfordartcenter.org; Facebook Guilford Art Center; Instagram Guilford Art Center; Twitter @Guilfordart