A group has been formed to attempt to establish a Saturday Artisan Market at the Buffalo Inner Harbor. This type of event is very popular in many waterfront cities, and with the advent of various other activities down at the Commercial Slip, the effort is gaining support. I met with artisan Julie Leatherbarrow (Leatherbarrow Glasswerks) over the weekend to discuss possible locations and numbers of artisans needed to pull off such a market. It turns out that there are ideal locations perfect for such an endeavor. Next steps include identifying artisans, presenting to the ECHDC and Buffalo Place, and then applying for City permits. The hope would be to showcase 25 artisans a week over the course of 12 weeks for the first year. Our first step is to identify those artists.
One of the concepts that would make this artisan market different from other art festivals and craft fairs is the interaction between the artisan, his or her work, and the visitor. In order to have a tent at the designated location, the artisan must be prepared to work on his or her craft when not making a sale. That means that potters must throw clay, painters must paint, wood carvers must carve… and so forth. “Many artists and artisans are prepared to work on their crafts when attending festivals,” Julie told me. “Actually, there is a significant increase in sales when the artisans are busy working on their wares. I believe that the waterfront is ready for such a market.”
While we work out the details, it is imperative to locate the first 25 artisans who would be interested in setting up on Saturdays this summer. Artists would need to pay a minimal to-be-determined fee per show to cover permit expenses and other costs associated with the venue. A tent with anchors would also be required. If you are interested in learning more about the show along with requirements, please send an email to Julie Leatherbarrow. Artists will be chosen after a committee reviews diversity of mediums, quality of work, originality, etc.
Follow the market advancements on Facebook and ‘like’ the group if you support the effort!