Arts on Market, a biannual community art event, was held on Sunday at Southern Village. The event takes place every spring and fall, providing the community with an opportunity to purchase from local artists.
Vendors sold various pieces, including paintings, pots, crocheted items, candles, woodworking and handmade accessories. Bill Moore, a UNC junior double majoring in music and American Studies, performed at the event, singing a variety of folk songs.
“I believe that arts and crafts serve as a way to connect people, and so there's a sense of connection and belonging, and that builds community, and that's just amazing,” Melinda Abrams, the organizer of Arts on Market, said. “Maybe beauty, even the little beauty, and everybody's idea of beauty is a little bit different, and how cool is that?"
Artists have to apply and be accepted to participate in the event. Art on Market focuses on local and small businesses that are unique in their handcrafted pieces.
“I would say that in the digital age, with everybody turning more to computers and AI art, it's always good to still remind ourselves that traditional crafts still exist and using our hands to create things, physical items,” Sheri Chen, a crochet artist who lives in Chapel Hill and is a participating artist at Arts on Market, said.
Originally from Georgia, this is Chen's second time participating in Arts on Market. She said she appreciated that the event is local, providing her a chance to interact with fellow local vendors.
When Abrams first started organizing the event in 2018, she said the event was much smaller and has now grown to have waitlists to attend and claim booths.
Abrams also said that the local community benefits from the market, getting an opportunity to shop for unique art and meet community members, while also supporting local artists.
“I was actually working full-time at Duke Health," Simone Gaddy, a candle business owner from Durham and a vendor at the event, said. "I started testing and experimenting with all the scents and everything and decided, ‘I need to grow in life.’ So, I named it Sow and Glo. It's to plant a seed to grow and glow up."
