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| Organized by Sally Cavallaro |
Saturday afternoon I had an opportunity to see three mid-December arts and crafts events here in Duluth. Two were in the Lincoln Park Craft District and the the third was this one at the Fitgers complex called Art On Tap. The Lincoln Park events were at Karin Kraemer's new studio space and across the street at the Duluth Folk School.
I can't say enough about the energy I felt as I passed through each of these spaces. What impressed me most was the vibrancy of the entrepreneurial spirit that seemed more apparent than I'd expected. The abundance of Millennials who have embraced a hybrid creativity and business sense was striking. This page has a few of the "booths" where creativity has been brewing. Perhaps it is a reaction against traditional employment where you are handcuffed to a desk and the arbitrary rules of your employer. Here, you are your own boss. You make the rules, you run your show. It's an adventure. And if you fail? You're still young. It's a diploma in the school of hard knocks.
I saw some of the typical things you'd expect to see, but most everything had a unique twist, flavored with imagination.
White Spruce Market, for example, specializes in curated gift boxes for all occasions, along with seasonal gifts, limited edition boxes, and quarterly charity partnerships. It was an intriguing play off a more standardized mass market gig. It felt human, personal.
Below are a handful of photos with links to their various web pages. Check 'em out. You may still have time to have it delivered before Christmas.
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| Jamey Penney-Ritter -- BemusedPosters.com |
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| Lydia "Nibs" Noble -- LydiaNoble.com |
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| The ubiquitous Jes Durfee, Glass Artist |
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| Hand Screenprinted Designs -- Karley Rose -- KarleyRose.com |
In addition to being inspired by all the creativity, I was likewise inspired by the optimism and "go for it" spirit I saw everywhere. "Follow your bliss" was being enacted right before our eyes.
Meantime, art goes on all around you. Get into it.
(And this Christmas: Buy Local.)
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