'A scary moment': Artists question Crafty Mart's cancellation of Akron holiday market

Local artists and makers were in an uproar on Facebook last week after Akron's Crafty Mart board announced it was canceling this year's juried Holiday Market, scheduled to happen Nov. 25 and 26 at Bounce Innovation Hub downtown.

Meanwhile, Cleveland Bazaar founder Shannon Okey, who has worked with many of the predominantly Akron-area Crafty Mart vendors over the years, stepped in the same day to book a replacement market in Akron on the original dates.

The nonprofit Crafty Mart had planned a smaller 15th annual market this year, with about 50 vendors of handmade items rather than the usual 90. That's because Bounce will soon start renovating the building's second floor, which required Crafty Mart to host the Holiday Market on the first floor rather than in its 7,000 square-foot, second-floor Carbon Black gallery in the old B.F. Goodrich tire factory.

A post from the three-member Crafty Mart board of directors on the organization's Facebook Oct. 12 said "This was an extremely difficult decision that was based on the combination of many circumstances that we feel can't be overcome."

The announcement said a smaller space was an issue, despite Bounce staff's work to accommodate the organization.

"We did not find another venue suitable to our needs. In addition, like many other organizations, we are attempting to keep the organization moving forward despite recent staffing challenges and a small volunteer board," it said.

Board member Kathy Folkerth, one of three in addition to Tanya Green and president Joanna Caley, said Tuesday that staff turnover in the last 10 months was an obstacle.

Previous Crafty Mart Executive Director Marissa McClellan and two other employees resigned in December. New Executive Director Lisa Bischoff was hired in April and resigned in September due to family issues.

Five new members joined the Crafty Mart board in January, for a total of nine volunteer board members. Six have since resigned, including two in the last month who Folkerth said cited personal and career reasons.

An events and education coordinator who was hired in the summer and worked through Crafty Mart's Halloween Mini Market Oct. 7 has since left "on good terms" for another job, Folkerth said. That means Crafty Mart currently has no staff.

"We couldn't hire someone in time and get them up to speed in time to do the Holiday Market," Folkerth said. "Trying to get more volunteers is always an option but you can't have volunteers doing a lot of the important work that you would have had your director doing or events person doing so it was a difficult decision," she said.

Crafty Mart also canceled its spring market at Carbon Black the week of the Jayland Walker grand jury decision. The organization coordinated a July market for Falls Downtown Fridays in Cuyahoga Falls.

It did not do any educational programming for makers this year, Folkerth said.

The organization, which was founded in 2008 and became a nonprofit in 2015, started its Holiday Market in 2009 as a pop-up event at venues including Musica, Summit Artspace and the Akron Art Museum.

Renovations at Bounce to start in November or December

Bounce Innovation Hub CEO Jessica Sublett said Bounce notified Crafty Mart staff in May 2022 about renovations starting in 2023, which meant this year's holiday market couldn't be held in the second-floor Carbon Black Gallery due to demolition safety issues. Crafty Mart has since moved its office from the second floor to a conference room on another floor.

"I don't think the space was the driving cause of this, really. We really did a lot to be accommodating of them," said Sublett, who said Bounce offered Crafty Mart free use of the general space on the first floor along with a rented event space. "I think a good market could have could have gone on, but I just don't know if they have the bandwidth."

The eight-floor building's second floor will be renovated with the help of a $2 million federal grant from the federal Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) to create private offices plus more conference rooms and classroom space. The renovation is expected to start in November or December and last for a year.

More: Bounce Innovation Hub receives $2 million grant, plans to expand and renovate second floor

Akron vendors question board's decision to cancel

After the Crafty Mart board sent cancellation emails to vendors, followed by a post on its Facebook page, artists and makers blindsided by the announcement questioned the board's reasons for canceling the popular Akron event, which has drawn thousands of customers each year.

Live Dream Create plushie creator Krystal Tomlinson of Stow, who's been involved with Crafty Mart for about eight years, said on Facebook: "They (the board) were handed something great and they single-handedly ruined it. The artist and maker community is mad as hell, and we have every right to be.

"This is about people who do this full time for a living, losing their biggest event of the year, with no safety net because applications closed months ago and few if any shows are accepting vendors that weekend. ... They planned to pay their bills, mortgages/rent, for their groceries, and even buy their family’s Christmas gifts with the money they were to make at Crafty Mart," she said.

"Crafty Mart itself is a big deal in the community. A lot of us got our start there," including the organization's business development classes, said Tomlinson, speaking by phone Tuesday.

"I feel like if (they) had just asked for help a lot of people would have jumped in because it's Crafty Mart," Tomlinson said.

Brent Wesley, aka Wesley the Bee Keeper who owns Akron Honey, said the cancellation email vendors received from the board was unclear.

He responded: "Hey. I'm confused. What was the actual problem that resulted in the decision for cancellation?"

The board's response, in part, was, "We are not trying to hide anything from the vendors or the public."

Wesley, who will be participating in the replacement event, said the Crafty Mart cancellation is big news. "It impacts a lot of people and a lot of shopping habits in Akron."

Full-time Canton maker Eric Strickland of Funky Designs Unique Concrete said it was heartbreaking to see an organization that he thinks so highly of falling apart.

"It was kind of a scary moment to see that there's a big chunk of my income just suddenly disappeared" with the cancellation, said Strickland, who will do the replacement event.

Folkerth said she understands that there's a lot of anger among Crafty Mart vendors.

"Our past two presidents (Daena Johnson and Caley) have had to pretty much run the organization without executive directors in place, which has been a lot of time, a lot of effort, and it's difficult," she said.

Cleveland Bazaar organizes replacement market in Akron

Okey of Cleveland Bazaar booked a replacement market on the brew floor at R. Shea Brewing Company downtown and the first floor of Bounce Innovation Hub, where the original Crafty Mart was to be held, for the original Nov. 25-26 dates. The Akron Bazaar will run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Displaced vendors will receive the first 50 spots and applications for up to another 50 vendors are being taken.

Sublett said Bounce is thrilled to offer the market space for Akron Bazaar.

"We're very happy to continue to play our part and support the maker community in that way," she said.

What's next for Crafty Mart?

Refunds have started going out for the $175 Crafty Mart vendor fee. Makers have not gotten a response to questions about refunds for their $15 initial application fees for the canceled market, Okey said.

Crafty Mart doesn't owe any former employees money and has funds in its account, Folkerth said. Crafty Mart's net assets for the end of 2021, the latest records available, were $34,670.

The board, which will meet Monday, has been researching options for what form the organization will take in the future.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Makers question Crafty Mart canceling market; new organizer steps in