NoCo Art Market to feature a variety of art vendors Saturday
Jun. 13—JEFFERSONVILLE — Known art vendors and new artists alike will come together on Saturday for the NoCo Arts Market on Michigan Avenue.
The market is bringing in artists from all over the Southern Indiana region, said Jeffersonville Public Art Administrator Emily Dippie.
The Saturday market will include products from jewelry to wood work to lamps.
"We like to encourage people from all different types of artisanal professions to come and vend with us," Dippie said.
To make the market more accessible and broaden its reach to all artists, Dippie said the market only has a $25 booth fee, which she noted is highly competitive when booth fees at some markets can cost over $75.
"We do this on purpose to try and help artists who are maybe just starting out or just developing their business get a chance to get their food in the door and start vending, knowing that they don't need to make back a very large booth fee in order to participate," she said.
The market will include some artists that could be recognized from the NoCo Arts Center where they are in residence.
Lisa Fowler, a glass bead artist, will be selling her bead work at the market. Greg Rush of River Ghost Art will also be present showcasing his woodworking products.
Another resident at the art center, Jess Harris Stiller, will have a booth at the market selling jewelry as her business Lorelai and Lottie.
Stiller and some of the vendors are also members of Maker13, a community workshop in the NoCo Arts and Cultural District. Dippie said the district really values its relationship with Maker13.
"We love having their members and makers come vend with us for the Arts Market. We really feel like that supports the idea of what we're trying to accomplish in the arts and cultural district," she said.
Artists like Christina Gutowski of Ain't It Strange, will be returning to the NoCo Arts Market arena, after having been present at markets in the past.
The NoCo Arts District did two markets last year, and it is planning to have a regular schedule of when the markets will pop up in Jeffersonville. Dippie said they would like to have one market in the summer, one in the fall and a holiday market.
The deadline to apply for a booth at the Saturday market passed in early June. Dippie said they saw a really good response from artists in the region.
"It's really a great testament to how the arts district is growing and how we're seeing it become this hub of artistic practice," she said.
The market is sponsored by the NoCo Arts and Cultural District and Jeffersonville Public Art Commission.
The arts district is also partnering with Upland Jeffersonville, who was selected by the city to operate The Depot for the 2022 season. The brewing company is responsible for managing The Depot and providing bar services.
For the NoCo Arts Market, Upland Jeffersonville will be running the bar, bringing in the food vendors and helping the arts district organize the music.
The event will take place from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Michigan Avenue will be shut down for vendors to line the street.
"We want to connect our community to our local artists in order to have our community exposed to working artist professionals and artisanal businesses," Dippie said. "But have also our artists connect our community."
