For some holiday shoppers, the madness of Black Friday and the impersonal click-and-ship nature of Cyber Monday are not for them.
They prefer the calm and friendly community environment of holiday craft fairs that support artisans of the local creative economy and the sponsoring organizations.
Chloe Powell, the executive director for the Chandler Center for the Arts for the last 18 months, found the center’s Artisans Holiday Market the perfect antidote to the frenzy of holiday shopping at the nearest mall.
“I did all my holiday shopping last year and didn’t have to leave work,” Powell said.
Powell is not alone. The gift-giving tradition long predates the advent of big box stores, and holiday markets that feature locally made handiworks or art have a long history. The Chandler’s artisans market, the Newport Library Arts Center’s Gallery of Gifts and the Lebanon Arts and Crafts Association’s annual holiday market are just three places where shoppers can explore the charm of the handmade object.
“We have people who are returning customers who do a lot of their shopping for the holidays,” said Marina Aronson, a member of the Chandler’s board of directors.
The holiday market, held for six weeks leading up to Christmas, has about 50 artisans each year selling everything from ceramics and wood products to cards, fiber arts and food items, including jams and jellies. The market is juried, meaning the artisans have to apply and be approved to sell at the market. And many of those return each year
Aronson said gross sales in recent years have been between $45,000 and $50,000. From that, Chandler charges a commission of 25% to the artisans, but that percentage can be reduced if the artist volunteers some hours to staff the market.
“The money goes into our general fund to support the center and the (exhibits in) Chandler Gallery,” Aronson said.
The market moved online for one year during COVID and in 2021, with the pandemic still having an impact, it was open on a limited basis with a layout that considered social distancing.
“We had so many people thanking us for keeping it open,” Aronson said. “It is really a very popular place for locals to shop, and it is fun to watch them come in, survey what is there and what is new and then see them come back again and again.”
At Chandler, the best sales are when there is a show in the center’s music hall, and this year “The Nutcracker” and “A Celtic Christmas” are two shows scheduled in December. Chandler also aligns the Holiday Artisans’ Market with The Sharon Academy’s school musical.
“We have some good sales with the families here,” Aronson said.
In Newport, the Library Arts Center holds its annual Gallery of Gifts from early November to a few days before Christmas. LAC Executive Director Kate Luppold said in 2022 they realized $65,000 in gross sales and expect to reach nearly $100,000 this year. The LAC charges a 30% commission to the artisans.
“It is really an incredible sale and is well-supported by the community and enjoyed by the makers involved in it, because it is lucrative,” Luppold said. “It becomes a great support for bringing money into the local creative economy, and that 30% stays here and is a great piece that allows us to continue what we do here.”
The Gallery of Gifts is a juried show, and Luppold said they have many of the same jury members each year.
“They know what sells well and what they are looking for and how they are aiming to grow the show each year,” Luppold said. “They are also working on being as accessible and inclusive as possible to make space for people in the community to sell their works.”
Luppold said the Gallery of Gifts has more than 100 artisans that represent a mix of the artists community.
“In the spirit of the Library Arts Center and in alignment with our mission, we are here to foster creativity and economy not just for professional artists but also amateur artists and even youth artisans,” Luppold said. “We look to make a market that is appropriate and accessible to all those parties and do it in a way that showcases all of those people professionally. We always make room for new artists to keep it fresh.”
Woven baskets, pottery, fiber arts, glass and paper artist, jewelry and holiday decorations are among the gifts, made by New Hampshire and Vermont artisans, that people will find at the show.
Luppold called the Library Arts Center’s Gallery of Gifts “a kind of a pop-up market of local handmade items” that is very popular with area artisans, partly because they only have to drop off their products and the LAC sets up the displays, does the marketing and handles the sales.
“We see a lot of repeat customers, because it is a show they really enjoy and do well at,” Luppold said.
Another popular holiday show in the region is sponsored by the Lebanon Arts and Crafts Association, now in its 52nd year.
Though not juried, the show sells a variety of handmade items, including woodwork; ornaments; handsewn, quilted, knitted and crocheted items; syrup and honey. About 30 LACA members participate annually, and that same number is expected this year, said LACA President Susan Matteson.
“That is the nice thing about this. To be a member, you don’t have to be juried and you can come up with different ideas every year,” she said.
Each year the organization rents a storefront to run the show from early November to Christmas Eve. This year, the show will be in the former Olympia Sports store in the Kohl’s plaza in West Lebanon.
The artists, who have to volunteer to staff the show, pay a percentage of their sales to cover the expenses, including rent. “We come out ahead and also try to give back to the community,” Matteson said.
The LACA also raffles some products donated by the artisans. The money raised goes to a scholarship for a graduating senior at an area high school who plans to pursue the arts in college. Last year, LACA awarded a $1,400 scholarship, Matteson said.
To alert shoppers, the LACA has a mailing list and sends out about 250 postcards announcing the location, dates and hours of the show.
“We keep track of where the postcards come from and how many are returned,” said Matteson, who makes wool-felt ornaments for the show. “Some people come back year after year.”
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
