If you pay mind to professional pundits you’re likely to hear one of them say something like, “America doesn’t make anything anymore.” It sounds goods on TV but it ain’t entirely true. My life is filled with people who make things like beer, clothes, furniture, toys, jewelry and soap; things that are made with the skill of a craftsman and the flair of an artist. I met a fair number of these people through the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, the wildly popular event produced by my wife which, if you know me, you’ve heard me talk about ad naseum for the last three years.
What started as a single annual event in 2007 became a biannual event in 2009 with two additional “mini” fairs for good measure. Apparently that isn’t enough since we’re fielding offers to host even more events in even more locations in 2010. Indianapolis’ appetite for contemporary craft has exceeded Amanda’s ability to satisfy it while holding down her day job, so she is going to do what any right-thinking person would – she’s going to leave teaching to open a retail store devoted to contemporary handmade goods. Our goal is to open Homespun in Irvington some time between the IHE Summer Show in June and late Aug., when Amanda is due to deliver our first child.
The store’s mission is four-fold: to provide a brick-and-mortar retail outlet for contemporary artists, artisans and crafters, offer low-cost art and craft classes for people of all ages and skill levels, serve as a gathering place for the contemporary craft community, and inspire further development and renewal along the E. Washington St. corridor. We intend for income from the store to replace Amanda’s salary but this is private enterprise for the public good. We want to help people earn a living wage for meaningful work and spread the message that our lives are what we make of them.
I stepped away from freelancing and blogging for the last two months to work on the business plan, which is coming together nicely. Over the coming months I’ll be blogging about the process of starting the business and the people – like Karli Kujawa-Smith and Nikki Sutton – who are helping Homespun spring to life. If you’d like help us along, please visit our project profile on RefreshEverything.com – Pepsi is giving away $1.3 million per month all year long to for-profits, not-for-profits, and community groups with refreshing ideas. You can vote for up to 10 projects per day every day this month so set an iCal reminder for yourself! If we finish in the top ten this month we’ll be awarded a $5,000 grant. We’re currently #4 and your votes could help us make something – a difference.
Watch this Pecha Kucha video from 2009’s Spirit and Place festival to learn more about Homespun.
