Great Barrington — Twenty-five artists took part in the Great Barrington Arts Market’s annual Delightful and Delectable Holiday Market, which was held at Saint James Place on Saturday, December 7, and Sunday, December 8. The Arts Market typically has its season from May to October during the Great Barrington Farmers’ Market.
Kristen Kanter of JK Custom Furniture and Design and Molly de St André of Petit Pilou/Moho Designs/Berkshire Four Poster manage the Great Barrington Arts Market.
Kanter said that the market itself started in 2013. “Molly and I are both artists, and both of our husbands are working artists,” she told The Berkshire Edge. “This is our livelihood, and it’s what we do full time. We know how important it is to have a venue, both during the summer and winter months, in order to support our craft. The friends that we have here today as vendors are also creating art as their full-time jobs.”
Kanter said that it’s important to bring together groups of regional artists in order to sell and promote their craft. “We don’t just curate people from the Berkshire area, but also beyond,” she explained. “We also have artists from the Hudson Valley area, eastern Massachusetts, and Connecticut. There are a lot of holiday markets during this time of year, but we really do make an effort to set ourselves apart from everybody else.”
“A market like this is important because artists can sell their work directly to a customer,” said de St André. “It’s not like a wholesale retail scenario, but it’s a direct-sales process. That means they are able to gain a lot more income from their products because they are selling directly to the consumer.”
De St André said that the number of artists who take part in the markets has steadily increased each year. “I think part of it is because we have a lot of talented people in the area,” de St André said. “I also think that artists keep coming back here because they know their work is valued. These markets have really brought customers who all appreciate art.”
There were a variety of artists at this year’s holiday market, including painters, candlemakers, sculptors, and other artisans.
For more information about the Great Barrington Arts Market, including a schedule of future events, visit its Facebook page.
