12 New Sunday Vendors Coming to Eastern Market

12 New Sunday Vendors Coming to Eastern Market

by Larry Janezich

Eastern Market Manager Barry Margeson told the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (chaired by Donna Scheeder) last night that recent efforts to recruit new vendors for Eastern Market’s outside Sunday operation have been successful and listed twelve new vendors with new products who have appeared or will appear on coming weekends.  The Eastern Market outside vending – a separate operation from the Saturday and Sunday independent flea markets on the Hine playground/parking lot – can accommodate a maximum of 125 vendors under the farmers’ shed, on 7^th Street, on the plaza outside the North Hall, and in front of the Rumsey Swimming Pool.  Typically, there are some 115 vendors on a Saturday or Sunday during the fall season.  According to Margeson, he currently solicits for new vendors in five categories every three months to create a pool from which to fill the Market’s needs.  The categories are Farmers/Growers/Producers, Artists and Crafters, Antiques/Vintage/Collectibles, Ethno-Specific Importers, and Prepared Food Vendors.  The application process is rigorous and applicants must pass review by vendors who already operate at the market.  Margeson says, “We do our best to fit in everyone who comes out. There are only a set number of vendors who are permitted to sell at Eastern Market. We try to keep it to a level where we aren’t turning people away on the beautiful days and where there is still a pretty full market on the rainy or snowy days.”

The new products, vendors, dates at the Market, and illustrations of the products follow:

Wood Wall Art

Leah Boelman uses reclaimed wood, paints it, and stitches yarn through drilled holes to create folksy, whimsical, unique pieces.  Sunday, October 27 and on select coming Sundays.

Leather Accessories

Katie Stack transitioned out of costume making for theater companies to run a small business making a line leather bags and wallets.  Most of the leathers used are factory remnants.  Each piece is designed, patterned and cut and stitched in her home studio.  Every Sunday between now and Christmas.

Water color paintings and Chines calligraphy on scrolls.

Bertrand Mao studied Chinese calligraphy and painting for over 60 years.  He says, “My paintings express a poetic state of mind.  I often finish a painting by adding a poem or verse reflecting my mood and thoughts at the time….”  Sunday November 10 and on select coming Sundays.

Encaustic Paintings

Sarah Baker creates paintings by layering hot beeswax on wood and incorporating images from magazines, her own drawings and prints, and oil pastels.  Layers are fused with a blowtorch or iron and texture results from the either smoothing or tooling the wax or from the incorporated pieces.  Select coming Sundays.

Paper Cuttings

Voyo Woo learned paper cutting in his native Southeast China and creates intricate modern pieces which depart from the traditional style.  Select coming Sundays.

Prints

George H Smith uses traditional printmaking techniques – gouges to incise the plates and a press to transfer inked images to paper.  He also makes “abstract, cosmologically inspired paintings” on roofing tarp as well as mixed media wall masks. Every Sunday through the holiday season.

Vegan Delights

Zoheret Coats of Zoe’s Vegan Delights makes vegan food to be sold on the Rumsey Aquatic Center Plaza – pita bread with stir fried vegetables and falafels with fresh vegetable garnishes. Sundays starting November 3 through the holiday season.

Candies, Cookies, Tarts and Cakes

Megan Murray of Thunder Pig (trained in L’Academie de Cuisine’s Professional Pastry School) makes all-natural locally-sourced pastries.  Sundays starting November 9 through the holiday season.

Metalwork

Michele Edwards sells metalwork fashioned from lids of oil drums designed and made by craftspeople in Croix-des Bouquets, Haiti.  The salvaged metal is cut and hammered into art symbolic of Haiti culture and its voodoo traditions. Select coming Sundays.

Functional Wood Art

Brian Butters turns wood to make both functional wooden bowls and artistic wooden pieces.  Select coming Sundays.

Collages

Mitch Delsack creates collages using 200-300 images from Life Magazines from the 1940s and 1950s glued to canvas and covered with shellac.  Select coming Sundays.

Wood Furniture

Craig Dreyer makes wood furniture from mostly salvaged materials – his work includes chairs made from doors and tables made from rulers.  Every Sunday through the holiday season.