Art Markets
November 23, 2021
Written by Andrea Paz.
The pandemic has brought a lot of anxieties and shortages into our lives. This is amplified as the holidays creep in, with many headlines urging to shop NOW or face the ultimate fear—no holiday gifts! As someone with anxiety, let me tell you—it’ll be ok; this isn’t the end of holiday gifting.
Above: Works by Hannah Lake. Her prints will be available at the Holiday Market.
The pandemic has shown us we are more resilient than we think, and that has brought about a more intentional way of giving gifts to loved ones. It’s a good thing there are more alternative markets, little art shops, and small businesses with online stores than ever before. What better way to celebrate friends and family than by seeking out fun events that benefit local companies, support creative people, and provide you thoughtful, unique gifts? The exciting part is buying gifts in local markets isn’t new. Open air markets featuring local vendors go back as far as the fourth century bazaar. We are participating in history.
A view of the items we had for sale at our July 2021 popup.
Every piece of art I have ever received or purchased has stayed with me through many moves and transitions. No matter what medium, the originality holds so much value that mass-produced objects simply can’t compete with. This holiday season I urge you to buy yourself and your friends some art; it’s a beautiful and fulfilling gift for all parties involved. Purchasing from our local artists means we are helping our local economy thrive in a way that supports creatives.
Linocut prints by Wren Cavanaugh. Will be for sale at the Holiday Market.
Local art markets are easily found around town. My art and the work of other LAC artist members will be included in the Living Artists Collective Holiday Market on December 4th at Ada’s Technical Books on Capitol Hill, Seattle.
Above: 5”x5” Krampus greeting cards by Claire Donaldson. For sale at the Holiday Market for $7 each.
Here’s some other markets to get excited about in the Seattle area:
Full Moon Market
SoDo Flea Market
Building C Open Studios
Winter Solstice Night Market
These are all in person! So don’t feel like you have to furiously log into your computer to claim a coveted product quickly selling out on Ebay or Instagram. Take a breath, drink something hot, and allow yourself to shop for gifts in a calm, cool, low-stress environment.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about everything LAC. Plus, you’ll get to preview photos of the products for sale at our December 4th Holiday Market.
If you like what we’re doing, you might consider donating to support the Collective as a newly-formed nonprofit organization (As of October 2021!). Our board has been hard at work establishing this so we can put together rent grants for low-income artists. The more funding we get, the quicker we can start offering these grants. It’s imperative that we keep creative people in increasingly expensive cities, and support living artists while they’re alive!
The Living Artists Collective board and artist members.