Handcrafted Holiday Finds
Adorable and affordable gift ideas at the 10a Alabama Arts & Crafts Fair
If you’ve never been to the 10a Alabama Arts & Crafts Fair, now is the perfect time—complete your holiday shopping and have fun, without breaking the bank! Launched in 2011, the charming Arts & Crafts Fair is held about thrice a year in a quaint house at 10a Alabama St. in New Manila, aptly accented with the repurposed furniture of Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery (which are on sale too, by the way). Arlene Florendo Barbaza, one of the fair’s organizers, shares, “We wanted a laid-back atmosphere where artists/crafters can show their work, and provide a non-threatening environment for first-time sellers/hobbyists. Inspiration for the space was Art House Tacheles in Berlin that Jetro Rafael and Robert Alejandro— two of the first organizers of the fair—visited a few years ago.”
This November 15 and 16, the fair will be featuring new crafters and vendors, as well as our favorite “Alabamers,” as the regulars call themselves. “Apart from meeting new vendors and seeing their work, we're excited to see how the artists/crafters challenged themselves for this fair,” says Arlene. “Those who join the 10a Ala- bama fairs are a talented bunch, so there's always something new to see, even from hobbyists who join just our fairs. The Alabamers, despite being an informal group, somehow continue to inspire and challenge each other. And that helps us grow as artists and crafters.”
Drop by 10a Alabama this weekend to pick up lovely, unique gifts, and have fun meeting the talented local artists behind them, too! The Arts & Crafts Fair will be held from 12nn-7pm on November 15-16 at 10a Alabama St., E. Rodriguez Avenue (near corner Tomas Morato), New Manila, Quezon City. For more information, go to facebook.com/10aAlabama.