Photo courtesy of Michelle Kirby
Photo courtesy of Wendy Emery
When Wendy Emery first took over Ohio Art Market back in 2012, the shop had just over a dozen vendors. Today, that number has grown to nearly 150.
Located in uptown Westerville, Ohio Art Market features everything from hand-painted wooden coasters to original works of fine art – all made by local artists. Emery attributes a large part of the market’s success to the wide range of options offered to customers. In selling items such as repurposed candles and locally harvested honey at a lower price point alongside higher ticket items like original paintings and fine jewelry, the market is able to diversify its customer base.
“Initially we didn’t have a whole lot of traditional art, but now it’s up to the ceiling,” Emery says. “It’s fascinating to see what kinds of things are selling.”
Ohio Art Market is just one of the many small businesses in the area gaining widespread attention for its dedication to supporting local talent.
Founded by Heidi Maybruck in 2011, Celebrate Local began at the Easton Farmers’ Market and quickly grew into its two current locations at Easton Town Center and Liberty Center in Cincinnati. The shop sells a multitude of local products, including apparel, home décor and pottery.
“Our customers see the value in purchasing local items,” says store manager Pegge Bellamy, who has been working with Celebrate Local since 2015. “It is gratifying for them to know that they are supporting our local economy and local artisans and families.”
Michelle Kirby and Justin Poole, founders of Ohio Made Market, experienced similar success in offering locally made products to the central Ohio community. After setting up a Facebook event for a pop-up shop featuring unique handmade items in 2016, the pair of artists received an overwhelming response and were forced to identify a larger venue than originally planned.
Photo courtesy of Michelle Kirby
The unexpected support for the first Ohio Made Market was a pleasant surprise to Kirby. Overall attendance reached nearly 20,000.
“People couldn’t even get in – there were lines for hours,” Kirby says. “They were just so excited about handmade items.”
Something else these groups have in common is a strong desire to foster creativity within the community. As an artist herself, Emery knows firsthand the hard work and struggle that comes with being an emerging artist. She will oftentimes waive vendor fees or offer more accessible opportunities for students, in addition to providing mentor support for all vendors.
Every year, Ohio Made Market runs a charity raffle benefitting local organizations such as the Reeb Avenue Center, the Ohio Furniture Bank and Amethyst, a program that benefits women in substance abuse treatments.
In addition to its online and brick-and-mortar presence, Celebrate Local offers consulting programs to artists, which include assistance with packaging and pricing. It also offers its own store space as a test market and connects emerging artists with non-profit funding. It also works with Food for Good Thought, a program that allows differently abled adults to learn about various workforce-related issues.
At the core of groups like Ohio Art Market, Celebrate Local and Ohio Made Market is a desire to bring the community together via locally made products – and their success indicates that it’s working.
“Our customers are all looking for something unique, and we try to provide that unique product,” Kirby says. “It still blows my mind how supportive the community is of the ‘Shop local, shop small’ movement.”
Kendall Lindstrom is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
