By Eva Mazzara
As friendly faces gathered and amber afternoon sunlight streamed into the Shapiro Family Courtyard in Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts on a recent Saturday afternoon, a community bound by a passion for art began to take shape.
“There’s so many big-box stores, and chain(s) (stores), that just (don’t) have soul,” said Sue Fish, 65, owner of Women’s Peace Collection, one of the market’s 12 vendors who set up shop at the museum’s Artisan Market. “I think that when you have handmade goods, it really does bring a sense of community because it’s special, it’s unique, it’s creative.”
The Artisan Market attracts designers from diverse backgrounds to a central courtyard in the museum each year, where they sell items such as handcrafted jewelry, intricately designed clothing and other eclectic pieces. The event last month was the first since COVID-19.
Fish discovered her love for fair trade — a partnership between companies in developed countries and producers in developing countries — after graduating from Tufts University in 1982 and spending six memorable months in Peru. After returning to the U.S., Fish studied to become a therapist, a career that spanned 35 years. However, her time in Peru and the lingering idea of working with international artisans never faded. Fish bought the Women’s Peace Collection in 2014, a business that sells products such as alpaca hats, gloves, cashmere wraps, scarves and baskets.
Fish works with marginalized international communities, including silversmiths in Bali, who have been practicing their art form for generations. She says she remains involved in the creative process by making frequent trips to the Indonesian island.
“One of the things we love about fair trade is the story,” Fish said. “Like, we know these people in Bali, they’re family to us. They’re the nicest people I’ve ever met.”
The Artisan Market debuted in 2017 and ran annually until COVID-19 forced its closure in 2020, according to Ellen Bragalone, the museum’s director of retail. The market is operated in conjunction with Bragalone’s fashion and textile buyer, a position that has been vacant since the pandemic.
“I just recently got it (the job) filled, so we decided to bring back the Artisan Market,” she said. “It’s always been very successful, so we really wanted to start it up again.”
Centered squarely in the middle of the museum, the courtyard provides a space for vendors to showcase their pieces, and room for customers to browse.
More than 5,200 people visited the museum on a recent Saturday for the Homer exhibition and other displays, and many of them stopped by the market. Sarah Basu, a customer and local artist, hopes the market will be a recurring event.
“There’s a possibility, but we’re trying to work out the details on that,” said Bragalone. “It may happen. I can’t confirm it, but it might.”
When it comes to choosing vendors, Bragalone tries to assemble a marketplace that features a variety of price points, and a diverse range of goods. “That’s why we tried to make sure that everybody had a very different look and feel to what they were selling,” she said. “That’s important for us.”
The market’s appeal lies mainly in its originality, said Jan Chen, a Newton therapist, as she browsed the tables recently.
“You cannot necessarily find exactly the same thing online,” said Chen, showing off her newest purchase — a chunky necklace filled with anomalous designs and vivid, alternating colors.
Some vendors’ businesses are new. Michelle Yozzo Drake, owner of Stonington Designs, had always enjoyed painting, but her career as an assisted living executive director occupied most of her time.
Drake left her job to care for her mother. When it was time to return to work, her husband suggested a different idea. “And that’s why I’m 64 years old … doing this,” she said. As Stonington Designs blossomed, Drake started a military spouse weaving program that provides jobs for stay-at-home mothers. “My son is an Air Force pilot,” she said, “and I understand the struggle that the military families have.”
Stonington Designs just released its newest collection, America 250, to celebrate the country’s semiquincentennial birthday.
Art resonates differently for every person. Basu believes the appeal of artistic creativity is universal, and that’s one of the reasons the Artisan Market works.
“The pieces are unique, and it really helps give … locals a way to show their work,” she said, “especially (during) a busy time like today.”Eva Mazzara is a student in the Boston University Journalism program. This story is a partnership between The Boston Sun and the Boston University Journalism program.