Photos courtesy American Craft Council
Shop local on Amazon? This holiday season you can! The champion of craft, the Minneapolis-based American Craft Council, has partnered with the online retail giant’s craft component, Amazon Handmade, to curate a Maker Pop-Up Shop showcasing work by more than 100 artisans—22 of them from Minnesota. Textiles and home décor, jewelry and kitchenware, clothing and accessories: The pop-up has a plethora of items for gift giving, all with a personal, artisanal touch. The pop-up continues through December 31.
Indigo & Snow, the workshop of Annabella Sardelis, whose textiles and surface designs are known throughout the United States, is featured. At home in the Casket Arts building, where she creates her work using stones, wood and plants, both foraged and picked from her organic garden, she hand-produces textiles with organic cotton, sustainable fibers, and non-toxic dyes.
Also in the pop-up are ceramicists Lisa Valley, Joel Cherrico, Black Banjo Arts and Dock 6 Pottery; Stellar Goods (handcrafted outerwear made from upcycled sweaters); and jewelers Jennifer Nunnelee and Jeannie Trellis among others. According to a press release, “Our decision to collaborate with Amazon Handmade sprung from our mission to provide ACC artists with a variety of economic opportunities and visibility by cultivating a broader audience that cares about high-quality, handmade work, the process of making it, and having a personal connection to the artist,” said Sarah Schultz, ACC’s executive director. “What better way to share the value of their handmade items than on Amazon.”
Meanwhile, the Craft Council is also getting ready for its Craft Bash holiday event celebrating craft and design in conjunction with Hennepin Made. The event takes place on December 1, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Hennepin Made, the independent glass studio at 145 Holden Street in Minneapolis. The preview party will be held November 30 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Hennepin Made, and include a live paining event by custom surface designers She She.
More than 70 makers will have their wares for sale, from home décor to letterpress cards, ceramics to apothecary items. For a full list of makers (which includes Hackwith Design House, Silvercocoon, Baby Skateboards, Dottir and Koonyai Studio), go here.
Artisanal food and beverages, glassblowing demonstrations, and opportunities to partake in the making will be among the activities—along with shopping, of course. “Craft and creativity are at the core of what our businesses believe in,” said Hennepin Made’s co-founder Jackson Schwartz in a press release. “It only makes sense for us to host artist markets in our space. We’re thrilled to work with the American Craft Council in this way and look forward to welcoming so many makers and their supporters through our doors for the holiday season.”
