Release Date: May 5,2022
Crafty Mart Announces Launch Market to Showcase Local Creative Artisans
May 5, 2022, Akron, OH - Crafty Mart, a local nonprofit that supports artists, makers, and artisans in the greater Akron area, has announced its upcoming Launch Market on Saturday, May 21, from 12:00 pm to 4:00pm, located at Carbon Black inside Bounce Innovation Hub at 526 S. Main St.
Attendees can shop from a variety of unique and one-of-a-kind gifts and items, all created by hand by local makers. There will be music, food by Stray Dog Cafe and Kinetic Vegan, drinks by 4 Bros & A Sis Lemonade, make-and-take crafts, and all the bells and whistles that make our markets a fun destination.
All Launch Market vendors will have completed the beginner track of Maker Sessions, Crafty Mart’s exclusive curriculum to teach artists, makers, and artisans the skills they need to turn their creative work into a business. Curriculum subjects include marketing, business finances, branding, booth building, product photography, how to build a website, and more. The Launch Market is the capstone event of the Maker Sessions and a chance for the participants to apply everything they learned from the program. The Maker Sessions is generously funded by Burton D. Morgan Foundation.
“This year’s cohort blew these sessions out of the water! They showed up, did the work and are ready to share all of their hard work with our community,” said Marissa McClellan, Executive Director of Crafty Mart.
“I am SO thankful for the Maker Sessions” said Suzy Brannon, a maker in the Beginner Maker Session cohort. “I have learned things I knew I needed to learn to run my business, but didn't quite know how to get that information. The experts that teach each lesson are extremely knowledgeable and generous with their time and expertise. The strides I have made in my business during the Maker Sessions -- from defining my mission, identifying my customers, defining my brand, getting a handle on accounting and forming an LLC to taking professional-looking photos of my products -- is beyond anything I could have ever accomplished on my own!”
To learn more about the Launch Market, the Maker Sessions, and Crafty Mart, visit www.craftymart.org.