Arts Mid-Hudson Hosts 4th Holiday Handmade Pop-Up Shop
The holiday season is now in full swing, and for those on the hunt for unique gifts for their friends and family, Arts Mid-Hudson may have the answer. The Dutchess Handmade Pop-Up Shop, located in the Arts Mid-Hudson headquarters in Poughkeepsie, is now open through December 16 with the work of 70 artists available to purchase.
The Handmade Pop-Up Shop launched in 2014 and is now in its fourth year, occurring twice annually during the winter holidays and in the springtime. According to Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Arts Mid-Hudson’s marketing and development coordinator, the holiday pop up shop is a huge hit among customers. “Everyone’s shopping for something, even if they’re only shopping for themselves,” she says of the shop traffic during this time of year.
Shoppers can expect to find handcrafted artwork from local artists in all different mediums, including jewelry, multimedia, glass, fiber, photography and ceramics. Shopper Donna Banks was not looking to go holiday shopping, but when the windows of Arts Mid-Hudson caught her eye, she decided to come inside.
According to Dvozenja-Thomas, about two-thirds of the artists are returning, and each year they tend to bring new items. Sharon Emmett, owner of Made With Love in Pawling, sold a handful of mittens made from recycled materials in the shop last year and now has an entire basketful on display in the center of the store.
Some of the most remarkable items at this year’s shop are made by Jesica Clark, who runs Willow Vale Farm in Stanfordville. In addition to selling fresh vegetables, Clark weaves baskets and wreaths out of willow that she grows herself or gathers locally. “She doesn’t charge nearly what she should for something this unique,” says Dvozenja-Thomas of Clark’s baskets. Clark was even weaving on the day she was in-store to speak to customers about her work.
“I’ve always been interested in plants, and my love of willow started after I learned of its medicinal uses and its ability to be propagated from just a cutting stuck into the soil,” says Clark. “I continue to be amazed at its beauty and its usefulness as a renewable, biodegradable, natural material in these plastic times.” After finding out about the use of willow in traditional basket weaving approximately five years ago, Clark began to learn the craft.
“In the US it’s hard to find many classes in willow weaving, but I have taken a few through Bonnie Gale in New York and [at] Lakeshore Willows in Ontario,” says Clark, also explaining that there are not many books in English on the subject. “So, I try to absorb as much as possible during class time [and] interpret the techniques from [my] favorite purchased or loaned baskets, and I just weave, weave, weave until it comes out in a way I like.”
As for her experience as a first-time vendor at the Dutchess Handmade Pop-Up Shop, Clark says, “Everyone at Arts Mid-Hudson has been so nice and kind about my work, but I am honored to be able to have my baskets and wreaths there.” She plans to return for future pop-up shops.
The nature-inspired jewelry of Ginamarie Engels, a Nyack-based artist, can also be found in the pop-up shop. Engels crafts her pieces for Myriad Mirage with reclaimed items such as leaves and insects, which are all collected cruelty-free. “It’s amazing and delicate,” says Dvozenja-Thomas. To match the outdoorsy feeling of her jewelry, Engels displays her work on wood blocks actually meant for iguana tanks, which she found at a pet store.
While both the holiday and springtime pop-up shops attract different customers, each year it gets bigger; Dvozenja-Thomas explains that every time they set up, she has to move the office space farther back to make room for all of the artwork. “Dutchess Handmade Pop-Up Shop has definitely increased awareness for the artists in the Hudson Valley, as well as increasing recognition of the services we provide,” says Dvozenja-Thomas, mentioning that one of Arts Mid-Hudson’s main goals is to connect the community with artists, and vice versa. “The shop itself is really for the artists.”
