Crafty Bastards celebrated its 10th anniversary in a two-day fair on Sept. 28 and 29, presenting all kinds of novelty arts and crafts for connoisseurs.
“If Etsy were a mall it would be kind of like this,” Nikki Caborale, festival coordinator, said.
Urban and stylish shoppers, young and old, came from across the District and surrounding areas to engage D.I.Y professionals.
“I like supporting original and individual craftsmen and buying unique things, so I was really excited to check it out and see things that I hadn’t seen before and support the
artists,” said Laura McNeil, a shopper who traveled from New York City
to attend the fair.
The fair blossomed into a weekend-long affair with bigger tents housing more than 140 independent artisans selling handmade wares. The fair took place near Union Market, its second year in the spot, and just a brisk stroll from the NoMa metro station.
“It’s fun every time and it never disappoints me and it keeps growing and growing. It’s bigger this year, I think,” said Rachel Wallach, a Los Angeles native.
It also whetted shopper’s appetites with D.C.’s best food trucks and a selection of craft brews at the new Belgium Beer Garden.
“Crafty Bastards” is organized through a jury selection process that considers each artist’s mission statement, creativity, quality and uniqueness of materials. From these considerations, the jury decides which organizations out of the 450 applicants will earn a highly-coveted spot to sell their goods in the festival’s 158 booths, according to the Washington City Paper.
Despite Crafty Bastards’ competitive selection process, many of the vendors have participated in the fair since its inception, originally conceived to make Washington City Paper’s classifieds section come to life.
“There’s an aesthetic that the creators of Crafty Bastards have tried to instill and it’s a sense of making things from the sheer joy of making things,” Sean Hennessey, a sculpture artisan who runs self-titled company said.
The fair has also fostered an artist community in the process.
“I think you have to support each other in this community and everyone does and that’s sort of why I think I’m part of it, why I think I like it, and why I’m here,” Hennessey added.
Many of the artisans haven’t quit their day jobs, but they craft as a creative outlet and a way to connect with their customers.
“When people identify with and connect with what I’m making and they like it, then it inspires me to make more,” said Tiny Henry of “Tina Seamonster” that specializes in zombie themed small gift items.
However, getting into the D.I.Y. crafting business isn’t for the faint of heart.
Jeffrey Everett, an AU alumnus, owns “El Jefe Design,” a company that produces fringe culture products, including posters and stationery.
“When you go out into the real world, make sure that your first job is (one) that you actually want to do and pursue because you’re building on the experience you have,” he said. “Take classes outside of your major. You have to be very broad in what you do and you have to be really smart.”
thescene@theeagleonline.com
