At Goods Local Brews, it’s possible to purchase plant starts and hanging baskets, procure honey and farm-fresh eggs, sip a pint of local beer at one of numerous picnic tables or counters, enjoy fare from food trucks like the Dumpling Girls and A Que Taco, and get a haircut at Little Bird Salon.
And now, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday through October, those hanging out at the neighborhood hub on Northwest Avenue can also shop at a PNW Made Artisan Market.
Started by Carter and Jenaya Church of Oak Ash Leather Co., the weekly event sees as many as five other vendors joining the couple to show and sell their wares. During a May 28 gathering, Jenaya Church said participating artists will continue to rotate throughout the spring and summer, and into fall.
“What we really like to do is highlight various artists and artisans in the community,” Church said. “We think that everybody has a gift and a talent, and we just want to share it with people in this area.”
Church said her husband first started doing leather work in 2014 as a hobby, and then she met him in 2016 and also began learning the craft. These days, Oak Ash Leather Co. creates items such as Edison wallets, leather earrings and the “Fairhaven tote” — large handmade tote bags produced in colors including tobacco brown, cowboy steel, Havana and highland rust.
Part of the allure of the markets, Church said, is that fellow artists support each other, whether it’s by purchasing each other’s products or brainstorming ideas.
“I feel there is a sense of community among the vendors that are here,” Church said.
A couple of booths away, Dex Horton of Dex Turns Wood was taking ownership of a piece of an unruly hunk of gnarled cherry wood donated by a Goods patron who lives nearby. Judging by the array of bowls, candle holders, honey dippers and other vessels crafted by Horton, he has a talent for turning pieces of wood others might decline to work on into works of art.
“The most desirable type of wood for me is free,”
Horton said, laughing. “I call it FOG wood — found on ground.”
Stick around his booth for a few minutes, and Horton will share stories of his creations. He may even show you pictures of the sycamore log he picked up from a downed tree in the Columbia neighborhood, or the laurel branch that came down during an ice storm that he turned into a candle holder.
Nothing goes to waste. Scraps of wood are turned into magnets kids can paint on and gift to their grandparents. A free art table also allows them a chance to test their own creativity.
“Everything’s reclaimed,” Horton said. “I try to use as much as I can.”
Although he won’t be in attendance at the next PNW Made Artisan Market on June 4, Horton will be taking part in the Valley Made Market the same day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Mount Vernon at the scenic Riverwalk Park.
The market is organized by the team at elSage in downtown Mount Vernon, which already carries the work of more than 250 makers, small businesses and authors. The company dedicated to fostering small businesses, creativity and community now hosts six outdoor markets through the spring, summer and fall.
Valley Made Market started in 2017, when a few friends hosted a pop-up market in the elSage parking lot, sparking interest among makers and shoppers. Featuring independently made goods from around the region, the events typically also feature live music and are within walking distance of a variety of restaurants, galleries, grocery stores and book shops. (After June 4, remaining markets will take place Aug. 27 and Sept. 24.)
Rebel Artists of Whatcom also hosts a Saturday Market from noon to 5 p.m. at the Commercial Street Plaza in downtown Bellingham, next to the parkade. The event takes place weekly through the spring and summer, and on a limited basis in the winter. The creative collective also typically takes part in First Friday activities, which this week is set from 6–10 p.m. Friday, June 2.
From noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 11, a one-day event, Art Movement: A Local Arts & Crafts Market, will fill Bellingham’s Jett Movement Academy with a variety of local artists and makers. Designed to support small businesses and keep the arts thriving, attendees will find knitted and crocheted items, paintings, mixed-media art, jewelry, candles and more.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the monthly Monday Night Makers Market will return to Mount Vernon at 5 p.m. Monday, June 26, at Farmstrong Brewing Co. Taking place both indoors and out, local artists will be selling everything from tumblers to soaps, jewelry and more.
It’s understandable if you can’t make it to all of the aforementioned markets, but if you’re looking to support area creatives, consider checking one or two of them out and seeing what they’re offering.
“Come out every Sunday, meet some wonderful people, check out what people are doing locally and try to help support each other,”
Church said of the PNW Made Artisan Market. “I think it’s a great thing to shop local and support artists.”
