Holiday Handmade, a New Shopping Trend This Season

Media Contact:

Becki Cooper

Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows

440-227-8794

info@avantgardeshows.com

Holiday Handmade, a New Shopping Trend This Season

Local Art Show Showcases DIY Artists and Crafters 

(AKRON, OH)- November 9, 2012- With the holiday’s right around the corner, everyone is on the look out for great deals and gifts that will make a lasting impression. With sites such as Etsy and Pinterest for inspiration, gift giving has been taken to a new level. From treasuries on Etsy, to custom Pinterest boards, family members have new advantages when it comes to their loved ones wish lists. As the custom arts/crafts movement has grown, pop-up shops and events have expanded in areas all over the country, perfect for the holidays coming up. One local example of where the inspiration is evident around North East Ohio, is at the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows.

This unique and fresh event has been around for a little over a year and has continually grown due in fact to popularity of sites such as Pinterest and Etsy. “There is definitely something unique about giving a gift that is custom made, handmade, or specially personalized for a friend or family member,” said Becki Cooper, founder of the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows. “As more people are customizing their lives through social media sites through pinning, sharing or saving their favorite custom or handmade items publicly, this allows shoppers a better idea of what their friends and family want for the holidays. Thus, making holiday shopping an easier and more customizable experience,” continued Cooper.  “A lot of what you find at the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows falls in line with this new “social” style of shopping. Many handmade artists and crafters are on these sites, and are able to create variations of the items that are popular online. Many even create custom versions of them based on customers needs,” said Cooper.

So what can you find at an Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show? Nearly everything!  Items range from upscyled vintage finds, Steampunk jewelry, Cleveland/Akron city pride apparel, funky custom home décor and much more. But not only do these shows allow for a new generation of arts/crafts to be showcased, but it also helps keeps money in the community, and supports local charities, an important aspect that a lot of local shoppers are searching for this season.

“I love shopping this particular show because I have found some very unique items, that I would never be able to find in stores,” said Kasey Fahey, 23 an Avant-Garde Show attendee. “Being able to find unique products that are targeted at my generation, and being able to shop local and keep money in my surrounding community is a win-win because I know it’s making a difference locally,” continued Fahey.

Indeed, the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows have seen a direct correlation in the growth of the show line in various regions. “There is definitely a comradery in the participating communities where the Avant-Garde Shows are held. It means something to customers who are able to come out and support local handmade businesses and charities,” said Logan Justice, 20 a volunteer at the shows. “I think the idea of buying unique products, helping keep money in the community and giving to local charities keeps people coming back,” continued Justice.

Since its creation, the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show started on the West Side of Cleveland with only 45 vendors. In a little over a year, the show has grown and now features between 100-150 vendors per event. The show has also expanded to new regions including the East Side, Summit County and Columbus.

The next Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show will take place on Sunday, December 2nd at The Tangier (532 W Market St.) in Akron, OH. The event runs from 11:00am-6:00pm and features over 100 handmade juried artists and crafters. Admission and parking is free for attendees, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to Jade’s No-Kill Rescue for animal rescue. This will be the premier of the show in Summit County.

For more information on vendors, please visit the Avant-Garde web site at www.avantgardeshows.com. The site features a blog that showcases in-depth profiles on several of the vendors who will be selling their items. For more information or to arrange interviews with the artists and crafters, contact Becki Cooper at 440-227-8794 or via email at info@avantgardeshows.com.

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The Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows are a series of Indie art and craft shows put on throughout Ohio year round. The regions include: Westlake, Solon, Akron and Columbus. The show line is put on by Rebecca Adele Events, a company that specializes in event planning, public relations, and social media. To learn more about the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows visit www.avantgardeshows.com, or via on Facebook at Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows (Rebecca Adele Events), Twitter @AvantGardeShows, Pinterest Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows and on LinkedIn.