WATERVILLE — Pottery, handmade scarves and hats, cutting boards, quilted wall hangings, T-shirts, bags, jewelry, and small, soft, pastel-colored unicorns, foxes, deer and snails.
Those are just some of the gift items offered at the sixth annual Holiday Bazaar hosted by Common Street Arts in the Hathaway Creative Center at 10 Water St.
Twenty-five artists and artisans from all over Maine feature their craft at the shop, which is open during the holiday season.
“It’s been gradually growing,” said Marie Sugden, coordinator of special projects for Waterville Creates!, of which Common Street Arts is part.
The bazaar was held the last two years at The Center on Main Street downtown, and before that it was held in the former Common Street Arts building on Common Street.
This year, Waterville Creates! is located at Hathaway as The Center is expected to be transformed into a center for art and film. At some point, Waterville Creates! will move back into the downtown building.
Proceeds from the sale of the bazaar items help support not only the artists themselves, but also Common Street Arts’ programs and classes for children on art, music and other topics and provides scholarships to those who can not afford to pay.
The bazaar is on the main floor of Hathaway, just down the hall from Hathaway Mill Antiques, The Robin’s Nest floral shop and Waterville Brewing Co.
“I don’t think people realize they can do quite a bit of shopping in this building,” Sugden said Thursday.
The bazaar carries zipped bags crafted with canvas pieces cut from sets used at the Waterville Opera House. Inside the bags, made by those involved in the Opera House, are tags featuring the name of the show in which the material was used.
“They do a great job,” Sugden said.
Handmade and printed holiday greeting cards, T-shirts, bath soaps, facial scrubs, lip balm, holiday ornaments and pillows are featured. Other shop items: wooden yardsticks and growth charts for children made by Skowhegan Wooden Rule Co.; small paintings created by Helene Farrar, who uses encaustic paint made with bees wax; cutting boards crafted by Duane Butler Woodworking; and jewelry made by Jennifer Lisa Atkins using oxidized sterling silver.
“It’s quite a mix,” Sugden said. “We’re getting a lot of people from word of mouth or Facebook, and we tried various advertising methods this year. I think people are still getting used to us being in this space.”
Sugden formerly worked at the Maine Crafts Association, and some of the artists featured are members of that association. Some were recommended to Common Street Arts by the state’s Maine Made Program, and some are Waterville residents whose pieces sold well in the past so they were invited back this year.
The shop, which opened Friday and closes at the end of the day Dec. 23, is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. It will also be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23.
On Saturday a free holiday card making class was held, and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sue Berry will teach a music making class for children ages 6-12. While the cost is $12 per child, there are scholarships available for those unable to pay and all they need to do is show up, according to Serena Sanborn, Waterville Creates! education and outreach coordinator.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
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