HANDMADE ARCADE ANNOUNCES DECEMBER 8TH EVENT, TO FEATURE 150 VENDORS SELLING UNIQUE HANDMADE WARES

Pittsburgh’s first and largest independent craft fair returns SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2012 to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center

DATE: Saturday, December 8, 2012
TIME: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
LOCATION: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222
ADMISSION:  FREE
WEBSITE: www.handmadearcade.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/handmadearcade
TWITTER: @HandmadeArcade

PITTSBURGH, PA—It’s never too early to start thinking about buying local and shopping handmade for the holidays! Handmade Arcade, Pittsburgh’s award-winning independent craft fair, will return on Saturday, December 8th, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center located at 1000 Fort Duquesne Boulevard in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Marking its 9th anniversary, and its third appearance at Downtown’s centrally located and eco-friendly Convention Center, Handmade Arcade is guaranteed to be the shopping experience of the 2012 holiday season—with 150 innovative craft vendors from Pittsburgh, the region and the country coming together for the market’s largest show to date.

Pittsburgh’s first and largest independent craft fair, Handmade Arcade was founded to provide grassroots, independent crafters with an opportunity to show and sell their wares to the public, and to create an annual alternative to traditional craft and fine art fairs in Pittsburgh. Every year, the event’s planning group receives more than 300 applications from around the region and country, which are carefully reviewed by a volunteer committee as well as by guest jurors including artists from the Pittsburgh community.

BUY LOCAL, BUY HANDMADE

This year, Handmade Arcade will feature vendors from more than 15 different states, including: New York, Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, California, Washington, West Virginia, Illinois, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey.

A complete list of 2012 vendors can be found at: www.handmadearcade.com/vendors/.

Known for its commitment to showcasing handmade, locally produced goods—many that integrate upcycled, recycled, sustainable, and eco-friendly materials and techniques—Handmade Arcade is thrilled to again set up shop inside the world’s first green convention center. This central and convenient location is easily accessible by bus, bike, foot, and even watercraft.

For the past eight years, Handmade Arcade has attracted independent crafters and loyal shoppers to a retail experience unlike any other in the region. Part shopping bonanza, part design showcase, part local see-and-be-seen social event, Handmade Arcade is a celebration of the make-it-yourself aesthetic, as well as one of winter’s must-do happenings.

Handmade Arcade attendees are active supporters of small, independent and locally owned businesses and the buy local/buy handmade movement. In turn, they are passionate about using use their resources and time to support local independent artists. They come to Handmade Arcade’s unique marketplace to select items that express their own individualism, creativity and originality, as well as a commitment to conscientious and thoughtful consumerism.

Looking to shop outside of the (big) box? Searching for one-of-a-kind stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gifts? Need the perfect wedding present for a winter bride? Or a handmade birthday gift for that creative person in your life?

Handmade Arcade features affordable, hand-constructed wares from some of the country’s most imaginative and talented crafters. At Handmade Arcade, shoppers will find cleverly constructed products such as purses made from recycled books; camera straps constructed from vintage fabrics; felt accessories; jewelry made from found objects; pillows constructed from vintage t-shirts; letter-pressed paper goods; hand-bound journals; eclectic housewares; limited edition art posters; organic bath and body products; upcycled children’s clothing; and much more!

WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?

Handmade Arcade will debut its new tote bags, designed by Pittsburgh-based artist Allison Glancey (Strawberry Luna), a longtime Handmade Arcade vendor. The new tote bags will be available for purchase at the Handmade Arcade welcome table, along with t-shirts, posters and buttons.

In addition, Handmade Arcade will also feature hands-on artmaking activities for all ages and live musical entertainment. Pittsburgh-based indie rock band, Instead of Sleeping, will bring their multi-instrumental sound, which features two drum kits, horns, keyboards, and a myriad of additional elements, to the Handmade Arcade welcome area. The event will also feature DJ sets throughout the day by David Pohl, J. Malls & Michael Seamans, Bad Seed, and The Garment District. Lunch items, snacks and refreshments will be available for sale on site.

Music and DJ schedule:

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Instead of Sleeping (www.insteadofsleepingmusic.com)

11:30 – 1:30 p.m. DJ David Pohl (www.davidpohl.com)

1:30 – 3:30 p.m. DJs J. Malls & Michael Seamans of Pgh Vinyl Con and Mind Cure Records (www.facebook.com/pghvinylcon)

3:30 – 5:30 p.m. DJ Bad Seed (www.badseedrecords.blogspot.com)

5:30 – 7:00 p.m. DJ Garment District (www.thegarmentdistrictmusic.com)

HANDS-ON HANDMADE: Take a break from shopping to make your mark with art!

Reflecting Handmade Arcade’s staunch make-it-yourself mission, the December 8th event will also feature the burgeoning Hands-on Handmade Arcade activity area, where shoppers of all ages and backgrounds can participate in engaging art and craft activities led by local artists and arts organizations.

Situated adjacent to the vendor displays, Hands-on Handmade will offer a variety of short and day-long drop-in projects, such as craft demonstrations, mini-tutorials, make-and-take activities, craft competitions, performance pieces, and large-scale art installations.

The 2012 Hands-on Handmade area will feature projects and performances led by: AIR (Artist Image Resource); Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA); ModCloth; Assemble Gallery; Health Artists Pittsburgh; Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; Society for Contemporary Craft; Continuum Dance Theater; and Knit the Bridge (a project of the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh).

Attendees will participate in screen printing demonstrations and activities; make ‘zines, paper headdresses and ceramic tile coasters; design their own paper doll and style new fashion looks to document in a photo booth; construct jewelry and wearable accessories from upcycled LEDs and circuits; and will build a plexiglass and wood air chamber to be used in an audience participation game! In addition, participants will contribute to a local bridge yarn bombing project by making knitted squares on site that will be tagged and used for the project, and will discover how to transform upcycled library books into hanging baskets.

Designed to bridge the gap between consumers and producers, Hands-on Handmade will engage attendees and vendors alike in a shared creative process, while encouraging the public to consider the role of craft in their own lives and increasing awareness about handmade locally produced goods.

A complete 2012 Hands-on Handmade schedule can be found at: www.handmadearcade.com/hands-on-handmade/

THE EARLY BIRDIE GETS THE SWAG

Want to avoid the crowds and get first dibs on one-of-a-kind products at Handmade Arcade? Purchase an Early Birdie Pass and enjoy the exclusive opportunity to shop one hour before the event opens to the public. Early Birdie shoppers will get a first look at all of the unique one-of-a-kind wares, and will receive a swag bag stuffed with crafty goodies and coupons. The Early Birdie preview takes place from 10 to 11 a.m. on December 8th. Passes may be purchased for $15 online at

www.handmadearcade.com or at WildCard boutique (www.wildcardpgh.com) located at 4209 Butler Street in Lawrenceville. Only 200 Early Birdie passes will be sold.

ABOUT HANDMADE ARCADE

Handmade Arcade is organized annually by a collective of creative Pittsburghers who have helped to shape and bolster Pittsburgh’s independent craft scene over the past nine years. Founded in 2004—when no events in Pittsburgh or the region served the burgeoning DIY craft community—Handmade Arcade provides crafters working outside the mainstream and fine arts sectors with a grassroots high-visibility venue to sell their wares and build community. Previous events have drawn nearly 10,000 attendees. In 2007 and 2009, Handmade Arcade received The People’s Choice Award for Best Arts Event from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. Activities organized by Handmade Arcade have been covered by numerous local and national media outlets, including Pittsburgh Magazine, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The New York Times, Salon, Venus Magazine, KDKA-TV, and National Public Radio.KDKA-TV, and National Public Radio. Handmade Arcade ranked 11th (by attendance) in the “Largest 2011 David L. Lawrence Convention Center Public Show” list as published by the Pittsburgh Business Times, June 8-14, 2012.

SPONSORS OF HANDMADE ARCADE INCLUDE:

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Yelp, Sock Dreams, The Sprout Fund, Port Authority, Steel Town Etsy, and Pop City Media.

For more information, visit:

www.handmadearcade.com

http://www.sproutfund.net/2011/11/11/hands-on-handmade-arcade/

http://nicolechynoweth.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/handmade-arcade-unites-craft-community/

Follow Handmade Arcade on Facebook and Twitter:

http://www.facebook.com/handmadearcade
http://www.twitter.com/handmadearcade

Check out Handmade Arcade on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/RuYYmVJkQ6s
http://youtu.be/fK0Gr_miYdc

Check out Handmade Arcade on KDKA:

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/pittsburgh-today-live/
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/pittsburgh-today-live/

ABOUT THE DAVID L. LAWRENCE CONVENTION CENTER

Located in the hub of Pittsburgh’s cultural, business and entertainment district, The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is the world’s first “green” convention center, and the only meeting venue to be awarded the Gold LEED® Certification by the US Green Building Council. For directions to the Convention Center, go here: www.pittsburghcc.com/cc/directions.html.

Photographs copyright Larry Rippel.