Winter in Iowa is craft season. It’s cold outside, the trees are bare, the wind rages, and the time is nigh to get cozy next to a fire and make stuff. Or at least, this is the thinking of many local artisans who contribute their work to the Main Street Art Collective’s third official Maker’s Market. Iowa is a bit of a hidden treasure when it comes to locally made art and crafts, so we sat down with Hilary Nelson, VP of the Main Street Art Collective, to find out what the Main St Art Collective is all about and why the Maker’s Market is important for local artists.
Turquoise Car Clutch from SKIRT
Peacetown: So, what exactly is the Maker’s Market?
Hilary: The Maker’s Market involves local vendors who hand make or collect vintage items to sell. We wanted to have a craft fair that was made up of all our super talented friends who make creative and awesome stuff all the time.
Peacetown: Can you explain a bit about the Main Street Art Collective?
Hilary: The Main Street Art Collective, run by Chloe Hennesy and myself, started as a group of young artists who
Lightning Bolt Dress from Those Knotty Sisters
were interested in sharing equipment, studio space, classroom space, doing workshops, and skill lending. We were fortunate enough to be offered a space in the Bonnell building, where [music venue] the Beauty Shop is, and have held the previous Maker’s Markets here. Up to this point it has been most functional for group projects, meetings, and tool storage. In the future we would like to have enough members that it could be sort of a directory of art services. There are lots of things we would like to do with it, and to support under its name, it just takes time.
Peacetown: Tell us about some of the artists that will be taking part in the Maker’s Market.
Hilary: We are so excited about the vendors this year. We have many local favorites to start with: Allison Honeycutt, a famed arts integration teacher at the Maharishi School, will be displaying creations ranging from needle felting desings to whimisicle animal charms. Chloe will be selling any number of wonders, too many to list. Philip and Dominic Rabalais (of punk-electro band Utopia Park), and myself design and screen print shirts under the name of Yellow Elephant. Emily Schweitz sells the hottest earrings in town. Leather, Feather, and Chain is taking over the ears of all the ladies! What makes this Maker’s Market even more special is that for the first time we will have three new vendors from Iowa City. These are some serious crafters and some seriously lovely ladies. I have had the honor of working with all of these women at different craft fairs throughout Iowa, and they are awesome and not to be missed. People can also look forward to plushy Christmas trees, bug necklaces, art prints, photos, jewelry, homemade pies, free cider, and a gift wrapping table.
Plaid and Olive Cut Out Dress from Bliss Joy Bull
Peacetown: Is Fairfield a good place to be an artist?
Yes. It is such a great, supportive environment. The youth of Fairfield are really creative and driven because we have to make our own opportunities to keep busy. Plus I know that for myself I get super inspired by all the exciting things that my friends are doing, so we push each other forward.
Peacetown: What are you currently working on, artistically?
Hilary: I just took down a show I had up in Ames, Iowa. It was my first solo show which I debuted at the Beauty Shop in February. It will be up again at Revelations Cafe for the month of December. I also have a project going with Camille Morehead (another one of our vendors) where we make short films involving cut outs, dioramas and lots of running!
The Maker’s Market takes place several times a year, usually coinciding with the Fairfield Art Walk.
