Local artists will sell handmade crafts in Union

When students walk through the William Pitt Union on Wednesday, they’ll see dozens of local… When students walk through the William Pitt Union on Wednesday, they’ll see dozens of local artists’ work — from steampunk jewelry to clay clocks — brought together by a Pitt graduate.

About 30 local artisans will sell their wares from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the I Made it! Original, the latest iteration of the nomadic I Made It! Market which sells handmande crafts throughout Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. The events are sponsored in part by The Original Magazine, a Pitt student-run creative writing publication.

“The mission is to provide an opportunity for local artists to sell their wares,” said Carrie Nardini, founder of the I Made it! Market. The market partners with nonprofit and community organizations to raise funds and awareness of art in Pittsburgh.

Hilary Nykwest, the editor of The Original, said the magazine loves the I Made It! Market because the event features various creative inidividuals in the Pittsburgh area. All of the funds raised at the event go to the I Made It! Market, she said.

“The quality of their products is so impressive and unique,” Nykwest said. “They have a mission that I argue no one can deny — support for the arts and creative expression.”

Nardini, a 2003 graduate of Pitt’s Katz School of Business, works to get local talent recognized by the community. She started the market in 2007 with about 20 artists selling their work. Today, close to 300 artists participate in the events and sell their wares at different markets throughout the year.

Students will not have to worry about burning holes through their pockets either, because although some of the wares can get as pricy as $100, many of the products cost as little as $3.

About 30 different kinds of artists will be at the William Pitt Union on Wednesday at the fifth-annual holiday market, selling a variety of handmade wares including clothing, bath and body products and innovative jewelry.

“There is a woman who takes international coins and makes them into jewelry,” Nardini said. “You really get a huge variety of products.”

The artists themselves also enjoy coming to I Made It! Market events. One is Lynn Forman, a 57-year-old local Pittsburgh artist who specializes in textiles.

“I enjoy participating in I Made It! Market events because they always draw a diverse, interesting group of people,” Forman said in an email.

Forman said she likes the partnerships the market has created with nonprofit and community groups. It has collaborated with The Original Magazine, the Children’s Museum, the American Jewish Museum, Bike Pittsburgh,

Braddock, the Brew House Association and Three Rivers Arts Festival.

“Besides being fun and enabling me to meet interesting people, I also gain useful information about my products through the conversations I have with potential customers as well as other artists,” Forman said.

Forman has come to I Made It! Market events at Pitt before and said she encounters a mix of customers, including students, faculty and staff. She usually brings the scarves, purses and fabric bowls that she makes.

“I am passionate about sewing and fabrics, and I am always trying new shapes and techniques,” Forman said. “That means that my product line is always changing — you may not find the same items, and certainly not the same fabrics, from show to show.”

For 72-year-old Marcia Morton of Pittsburgh, Wednesday will be her first time selling her wares at Pitt.

Morton primarily sells polymer clay functional art, which refers to items such as clocks, bookmarks, switch and outlet plates, small boxes and bracelet fasteners decorated or enhanced with polymer clay designs.  

I Made It! Market provides a way for local artists to get to know each other better. Pittsburgh native Niffer Desmond, 42, likes to sell her crafts while interacting with the other artists.

Desmond is a creator of steampunk jewelry, which is a style of jewelry design that is nature-, Art Nouveau-, Victorian- and industrial-inspired. Desmond designs jewelry from vintage and recycled materials.

“It is a passion of mine to create things that are thoughtful of the environment, expressive of the soul and beautiful to boot,” Desmond said in an email. “Selling in person is the best way to get feedback from the public and stay enthusiastic about what I’m doing,” she said. “You also get to see what your peers are making and get inspired and connected. IMI is a great forum for people to mingle while supporting the arts and local economy.”