It's a sunny Sunday, and I am beat! Vended all day yesterday at
Assembled, and the evening prior, celebrated Afro-Brazilian music and dance with
Uhuru Afrika, an amazing DJ/drummer collective that performed at Naga in Cambridge. Lots of Carnival-style dancers in full regalia shaking everything, conga and dengue drums, strobe lights and Afro-Brazilian beats. You know how I know I'm getting old? Every muscle in my body was sore the next morning. But that's a great sign that you've had a lot of fun, right? Being sore the next morning!
I'm going to produce another
Assembled market on September 7th. I am really excited about it because many of the vendors whose products I absolutely love, like Kristilyn Stevenson of
Zombie Romance, who couldn't join us for the May
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| Art by Kristilyn Stevenson of Zombie Romance |
18th opening show of Assembled, will be there for September 7th! YAY! So, in a really selfish way the September 7th Assembled will somewhat be a live version of my Etsy favorites list or my Xmas shopping list, but, you're just going to have to trust my taste, folks! These vendors really are exceptional, they're stars in their own right, and we really are lucky that they're going to be there! Here's a preview of some of their fantastic wares!
Maybe you have no idea what Assembled is or why you should care, so let me back up a little and explain;
Assembled: A Handmade Arts Market at Assembly Row is a weekly outdoor arts market that takes place at the Assembly Row development at Assembly Square in Somerville.
Assembly Row is kind of the re-birth of an old, delapidated strip mall, which has been razed, and will be turned into a brand new, swanky destination, with a movie theater, a collection of restaurants (Legals' C-Bar, Papagayo, JP Licks, etc.) and outlet stores. They're even building a T-stop (public transportation in the Greater Boston area) at Assembly Row, to increase access for the public. It's major, because frankly, Assembly Square was a bit of a waste before. There was, and will still be, an art supply store there that I shop at all of the time, but the area just wasn't well-kept, there was nothing of interest to do or see there, and it wasn't inviting.
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| Fabric Bag by Moozydoo |
I'd drive there to grab supplies, then high-tail it out of there as quick as I could. Now there really will be a reason to visit Assembly Square and stay to hang out. They've already put up a brand new Starbucks with a ton of outdoor seating, and Assembly Row actually has an oft-ignored waterfront which they're cleaning up beautifully. At the first Assembled show on May 18th, a lot of people who live in the area came by to check things out and inquire, and the overwhelming commentary was that they were grateful for something cool to do in the area, and that the development was getting some much-needed attention. The Assembled market is such a great way to draw folks to the area, AND support local artists, and allow us to connect with customers. So I'm happy to be producing another Assembled show. As the show approaches, I'll post more about the artists who'll be there and the things they make. Assembled takes place at Assembly Row at Assembly Square, 145 Middlesex Avenue, Somerville, Mass, Saturdays, 11 AM to 4 PM.
