Crafts festival this Saturday April 14 in Carrboro

The newly created Carrboro Crafts Market has its first market this Saturday April 14th from 10am-5pm. Here's a description of the market:

The Carrboro Craft Market is a monthly outdoor event hosting a range of skilled artisans and family friendly activities.  We proudly represent handmade crafts, select antiques and vintage goods, specialty prepared foods and more.  We will have a variety of products for sale, craft demonstrations,  skill shares presented by our talented friends and neighbors, live music, and  a free kids craft project tent each month.   Please come join us in celebrating our local talent and engage with our vendors to learn about what they do and how they do it!

The market will be held on Main Street Carrboro beside the Southern Rail and the Station. I'm assuming that means on the other side from Weaver Street between the railroad tracks and Lloyd Street.

More specifics about the April 14th market including the list of craftspeople and the musical lineup can be found here.

Like Gloria Gaynor, the Scrap Exchange says "I Will Survive!"

Many of you have heard the news that a recent storm collapsed (literally) the roof over the head of the Scrap Exchange.  The city of Durham has condemned the building.  Paraphrasing John Belushi in "Goin' South" the Exchange said "We don't need this stinkin' building" and promptly moved across the street.

It is not going to be easy for this real treasure of the left half of the Triangle.  But they write "We’re operating from 539 Foster Street while we try to figure out what is coming next and what our options are."

To keep up with their journey back from the abyss check out their blog.  Musical interlude below the fold.

CraftNet, a great source for developing your art/craft livelihood

Here at RTS we do a great deal of collaboration with mostly rural community colleges in the creative economy, helping them develop their economies through their local artists and crafts people.  The Craftnet website is a great source for learning and seeing what others are doing.  A recent article describes a new curriculum developed by CraftNet members schools to teach ecommerce to artists.  The PDF of the curriculum is here.

If you want to subscribe to the quarterly newsletter which will keep you up-to-date on CraftNet and offer many stories of successful artists/crafts people and best practices for communities click here.

FRANK opening in downtown Chapel Hill!

Chapel Hill's new community non-profit art collective will open on April 9th during the 2ndFriday Art Walk.  There is not much yet on their website but put it on your calendar.  I'm hoping this a great opportunity to liven up the Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Triangle art scene.  I also can see it positively improving the  economic impact of arts in the local community and putting more money in the pockets of working artists.

Handmade Travels blog post on Carrboro's NC Craft Gallery!

Handmade Travels is dedicated to finding and promoting handmade products.  Their latest post is on our very own NC Crafts Gallery.  It includes a fairly in-depth interview with owner Sara Latta Gress.  Stop by 212 West Main Street at the corner of Weaver Street in Carrboro and say hello or visit them during the 2ndFriday Artwalk.