Jocelyn Avila left her software development job over a year ago to run full time the small business that she and her husband started in 2019, a leather goods shop called Clark Morelia. Avila credits Pittsburgh’s low costs and strong community to the business’ growth, but she’s still looking for ways to ease financial stress during slow seasons.
Knowing that many independent artisans face a post-holiday slump from January to March, the Pittsburgh nonprofit Handmade Arcade is launching a new weekend-long shopping event, the Modern Craft Market.
The first of its kind in Pittsburgh, the Modern Craft Market will take place March 27 to 29 at the David Lawrence Convention Center. The event aims to provide established local artists with more opportunities to reach new customers in their own backyards.
Handmade Arcade is best known for its flagship Holiday Market, founded more than 20 years ago. It has grown to feature more than 275 makers and attract 10,000 annual visitors.
“When we talked to makers, the thing that was missing from both Handmade Arcade and Pittsburgh was a market for these highly established craftspeople,” Handmade Arcade executive director Kelsey Ford said. “You have amazing markets that exist in Pittsburgh, but not anything for celebrating these traditional handcrafted goods. It felt like a gap.”
Over the course of the weekend, attendees can expect a similar experience to Handmade Arcade’s Holiday Market. The Modern Craft Market will feature nearly 100 vendors — including Clark Morelia — selling one-of-a-kind pieces from all categories of art, hands-on experiences like live glassblowing and loom weaving demos, and opportunities for customers to connect with the people behind handmade products.
Pittsburgh: Land of artistic opportunity
Handmade Arcade’s mission puts makers first, designing programs that amplify the work of local artists and help them find financial stability through creative pursuits. Ford considers this work especially important for business owners without a physical presence in Pittsburgh’s market for independent art.
“A lot of makers can’t afford a brick-and-mortar store, so they rely on these sorts of events to connect with audiences who will hopefully support them after the market,” Ford said.
Avila and Rob Hackett, her husband and business partner, own Clark Morelia’s storefront space in Swissvale. Yet they still face the operational hardships and financial risks that come with owning a small business.
“It doesn’t matter how good we are at making our products, photographing our products, describing our products — it’s just very hard to sell them,” Hackett said. “Getting people to spend their hard-earned money on what you make, I think, is always the biggest challenge.”
Avila and Hackett said frugality has been key to their fiscal sustainability. Craftiness has gotten them where they are in more ways than one — the pair renovated both their storefront and personal home themselves.
Of all the cost-saving measures they’ve taken since opening in 2019, Avila and Hackett said the most economically sensible decision they made was setting up shop in Pittsburgh, where real estate prices can be among the lowest in the country.
“We’ve done [markets] in these higher cost of living cities, and people don’t bat an eye at prices there. That is never the response in Pittsburgh — lots of gasping at prices, so that disparity is tough. But the other side of the coin is, we couldn’t do this in any of those other cities. Our overhead would be five times higher in any other city,” Avila said.
Hackett cites Pittsburgh’s strong network of nonprofit support, from Handmade Arcade and other similar organizations, and connections between business owners as advantages for local artists.
“Pittsburgh is a really great example of community over competition. Not only is it affordable, but it’s also welcoming and supportive. You’re really getting the best of both worlds with that,” Hackett said.
Rachael Scott, owner of Rachael Morgan Jewelry and fellow vendor at the Modern Craft Market, echoed this sentiment. Scott often travels to nearby cities to sell her custom pieces at craft shows and markets, and she said running her business feels “easier” in a mid-size, livable city like Pittsburgh.
“Pittsburgh feels more homey. If I go to Philadelphia, even though I grew up there, it feels way bigger. It feels like you’re a small fish in a big pond, whereas here, it’s a medium pond, and you’re a medium fish,” Scott said.
Big or small, support is welcome
Scott recognizes that costs are sometimes prohibitive for customers, despite her sense that the Pittsburgh community wants to support independent artists. She emphasized engagement with small businesses as an alternative to monetary support for those not in the market for handcrafted pieces.
“Join their newsletter. Follow them on social media. Maybe think about it in the future, like, ‘I really loved that necklace, so I want to put it on my Christmas list.’ There are ways to support artists without buying,” Scott said.
Avila and Hackett will cater to Pittsburgh price levels at the Modern Craft Market, focusing primarily on selling their smaller, lower-cost items. They stressed that even small changes in spending habits can have significant positive impacts on small businesses.
“It doesn’t have to be a lot. It would be incredibly expensive to find a local person who makes clothes and get all your clothes from them. But maybe set some goals for yourself, like, ‘This year, I only want to buy gifts from people in my city,’” Hackett said.
Ford, the Handmade Arcade director, believes independent art is an “essential” pillar of Pittsburgh’s small business economy. She hopes the Modern Craft Market will drive recognition of artists’ contributions to the city.
“Even if you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I can spend right now,’ I would recommend coming out and supporting the artists by admiring their work and being inspired by these creative entrepreneurs,” Ford said.
Grace Longworth is a University of Pittsburgh student and managing editor of The Pitt News.
