Crafty Feast, Indie Grits Festival's "indie craft fair," lined Main and College streets Saturday afternoon, showcasing over 70 vendors and each of their unique and varied creations. "Craft fair" can carry a heavy connotation, harking to your grandmother's greatest crotched masterpieces, and that popsicle stick house from kindergarten craft time, but this year's fair was certainly far from the expected scene.
Handmade jewelry, animal-shaped mirrors and abstract art-inspired felt dolls — every imaginable, and out-of-the-box, craft was represented at the Feast, all housed under white tents that fought the wind and rain throughout the afternoon. The fair, which was scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., was delayed until noon because of the weather, and although the conditions proved to be a hassle for vendors — with a few gusts sending crafts, tents and business cards flying — Feast-goers still came out to support the local artists.
One of the first vendors on College Street's craft row, set up right across from the Byrnes Building, was E. Brenton Sadreameli, the founder of Mr. B's Glassworks and Bottleneck Guitar Slides. Sadreameli's works may have been the personal favorites from the fair — recycled glass beer, wine and liquor bottles turned glassware, and bottleneck guitar slides. Some of the glasses, like the ones pictured above, were fit for the china cabinet, playing up the more simple bottles for a classic look, with others more obviously recycled, sporting Rolling Rock, Corona and Grey Goose logos.
Sadreameli, whose glassware is also available at the State Museum and Columbia Museum of Art, first started making the glasses as gifts for friends, and dishware for his studio, located on State Street. He also does woodwork and metal work, but the glassware and guitar slides are his main gig.
"Mr. B" partnered up with local artist Lauren Maurer, creating glassware painted with Maurer's signature dressed-silhouettes, and offers custom glasses as well, with everything from logos to initials to "X-rated pictures." The glasses are anywhere from $15 to $25 a piece, and the guitar slides, which Sadreameli has been making for six years, sell for anywhere between $25 and $45.
Elizabeth Squires, who drove from Bloomington, Indiana, for Crafty Feast, showcased a table full of "Cornfed Crafts," and performed tarot card readings at the fair. Working at a daycare in Indiana, Squires heard about the Feast on a craft website, applied and drove down Friday night to set up shop. She sold a nice collection of handmade, pop-culture jewelry, buttons, tacks, paintings and candles, bringing a lot of beer-related paraphernalia into her designs, admitting, "I don't drink beer though, so it's kind of weird."
Squires' collection favorites are candle-filled glasses that she's dubbed "Your Own Personal Jesus." Painted with outlines of "St. Prince" and "St. Elvis," they are known as the "hipster cannon of saints." The Indiana-native also drew fair-goers to her table with her tarot card readings, which cost $1 for every card, using reading skills she learned from her elementary school Girl Scout leader. The "Cornfed Crafts" can be found at bsqu.tumblr.com.
Jenny Mae Hill, the artist behind Jenny Mae Creations, displayed her "voodoo dollies" and "sock oddities" that have been featured in the film "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." All of her offbeat dolls can be seen and purchased at www.jennymae.com.
Jen Moreau from Greenville wowed all the ladies with her craftily-designed jewelry, including cork rings, clay "Garden Wall" necklaces and beaded earrings.
"I started making all of these, because I have a serious problem with collecting fabric — I love it," Moreau said.
Her "Fox to the Opera" vintage-inspired accessories can be found at www.foxtotheopera.etsy.com.
Lucas Sams, a fourth-year painting student, set up studio on Main Street, selling his paintings and adding to his creations right in the middle of the street. Friends and bassist from Sams' band Pray for Triangle Zero played the keyboard, violin and guitar in front of his display, luring the crowd in with their chilled-out beats. The paintings were each unique, yet all tied in with the same look, Sams offering his 3-D glasses to visitors saying, "It's like you're on LSD."
Sams has done a lot of work with Toro Y Moi's bassist, including one large painting (below) that would sell for around $350.
Crafty Feast represented all of the best from Columbia's undercover arts scene, bringing some of the most talented artists out of the woodwork, and highlighting some of the most original and high-scale crafts in town. Aside from the rows of vendors, live music, beer and food from College Grounds Cafe, Hunter Gatherer and other local eateries made for the complete cultural experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment