At the Birmingham Bloomfield Arts Center, over 200 artists are participating in the annual Holiday Shop, offering a variety of handmade gift items for this holiday season.
The 43rd edition is a one-of-a-kind local pop-up shopping experience. That's why husband and wife Scott Golding and Marta Diaz love coming to the Holiday Shop for most of their Christmas shopping.
"It's about supporting community and local artists," said Golding & Diaz.
Susan Hartunian, a jewelry artist for over 15 years, is also one of the vendors at the Holiday Shop.
The unique element of my jewelry is that it's just a relaxing, meditative piece, allowing you to be creative. When you think that you don't have the ability to draw paint, this is something different," said Hartunian.
Hartunian says the holiday season is important for local artists; a good month of sales for Hartunian means selling over 20 items.
"When folks purchase my jewelry, it's flattering. You know I'm happy for them. It's the way to do something for someone else," said Hartunian.
The center's president, Annie VanGelderen says the collection is juried.
"We are very critical about making sure that everything is artisan nothing is manufactured, and we want to make sure that it has a very high caliber of work," said VanGelderen, President & CEO of Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center.
As for the benefits of buying homemade items, VanGelderen says, "You're supporting your local community. Number one, you're supporting another artist, and there's something special about not being manufactured. You remember when you purchased it, it has a story, and then that story becomes your story as well,"
VanGelderen says shopping here means your money also goes towards a good cause.
"We have programs for Alzheimer's caregivers schools in Detroit, where we provide free art curriculum they don't have. All these programs are free; our fundraisers help us do these programs," said VanGelderen.
To learn more about the Holiday Shop, click here.
