I Heart the New Industrial Arts Collective Pop Up Shop
by Cara Ober
According to the Industrial Arts Collective’s website, “A lot of good things are happening in Baltimore, and a lot of good people are making it happen. We aim to showcase as many of them as possible, in whatever realm they excel in. If you are already living and working in the Baltimore community, please add yourself to this online community.”
The goal of this new and inclusive coalition of Baltimore-based makers is to be an online resource for communication, collaboration, and general education for all the “amazing people living and working here in Charm City.” In addition, the IAC will sponsor a number of events, talks, and, currently, a pop-up shop.
I visited the new IAC “Made in Baltimore” Pop Shop, currently hosted at the old D Center Location at 16 W. North Avenue. It was a quiet afternoon and I was happy about this because there was SO MUCH AWESOME stuff there! I felt like I needed to take time with each item, to consider it (Do I need this??? And this?!) and to appreciate the craft involved in the items I didn’t consider for myself.
Even the displays are beautiful in this temporary shop — like a better, North Avenue version of Anthropologie, where none of the items were plagiarized from artists and everything was made right here in Baltimore. You could tell artists and designers were involved with all aspects of this venture – from the displays to the organization, the whole thing was just lovingly curated. The sophistication in the items available reflected the aesthetic of the display.
The IAC Pop-Up Shop currently includes over 75 local vendors, and offers a range of items from furniture to jewelry to clothing to letterpress and prints. I’m not sure how long they will stay in this location, but I hope it’s forever! This is a welcome addition to Baltimore’s handmade shopping landscape and offers a chance to browse that frenzied one-day craft shows and marts don’t allow.
In addition to the shop, the IAC has more events on the way. Be sure to check it out here.