Finish Your Shopping *and* Feel Superior For Supporting Local Businesses by Cara Ober
Help! I’m running out of time and money and I hate the mall and I don’t want to buy mass produced garbage for my friends and family this year! What can I do?
Fear not, well-intentioned procrastinators. BmoreArt’s team has compiled a great selection of gifts for everyone on your list. Even your mom, your boss, your Republican uncle, your best friend, and your picky teenaged niece will be happy, and you can make yourself feel good in the process because you’re supporting local artists, makers, and businesses.
Feast your eyes on our last minute gift guide where everything costs less than $50. Just like the ice that melted on Saturday, your holiday shopping guilt can melt away too! We promise you’ll still be able to make your student loan payment next month.
Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Need I say more? You can make any caffeine lover happy by purchasing a few pounds of locally roasted Zeke’s Coffee. Earn extra points for buying coffee named after the recipient’s favorite Baltimore neighborhood. You can buy Zeke’s mugs and travel mugs, too, if you want to give them a lasting token of your affection. $12-$20
Coffee Table Book to go with the Coffee: The Matisse Diebenkorn Exhibition Catalogue available at the BMA Gift Shop. Featuring stunning pairings of more than 100 paintings and drawings, this gorgeous book brings together the work of Henri Matisse and Richard Diebenkorn as never before, offering new ways of understanding both artists. More info at the BMA Shop here. $44.95
For all the lovable assholes and dumbasses in your life: these plates and mugs at Trohv! Show all the important people in your life how much you love/hate them with these adorable ceramic pieces. Cute birds soften the message and you can get them a golden pug candle (pictured below) too. At Trohv in Hampden! $16-$30
Jewelry from Bottle of Bread in Mt. Vernon. Chic and low maintenance. Affordable everyday and statement pieces that your favorite people will love. $16 – $45
BaltAmour T-Shirts from Baltimore Print Studios available ($34) at the Made in Baltimore Pop Up Shop in Hampden. Pre-washed American Apparel heather track shirts available for men and women.
There is a lot of great stuff available at the shop – jewelry, furniture, clothing, ceramics – all by Baltimore-based artists and makers, though some of it costs more than $50.
Gift Certificates to BLK//Sugar, a new micro-bakery at R House in Remington owned by BmoreArt food writer Krystal Mack, and sharing a space with Little Baby’s Ice Cream. Buy the gift of dessert for the sweet tooth in your family! They’ll thank you for sending them out to the newly opened market.
Cat Books! For all the crazy cat ladies and/or small children in your life! This selection is available at The Ivy Bookshop in Mt. Washington.
Candles that smell amazing for pretty much anyone you know. Knits, Soy, and Metal makes a variety of soy candles and their design is simple and elegant. If you want to get interactive, you can attend one of their candle pouring workshops or buy a gift certificate for a future experience.
Beautiful cook books for the foodies in your life. A combination of food porn, beautiful design, and elegant prose on velvety paper. You can buy books for specific types of meals, cooking techniques, and regions of the world. All will inspire better meals and look gorgeous on a kitchen shelf. Available downstairs at Trohv.
Artful beer! Beer socks! Union Craft Brewing is my favorite beer because they make a range of delicious products, but also because they collaborate with local artists for their designs. Check out their new giant holiday cans of Miracle Weizenbock with a 32nd Street label designed by Annie Howe Papercuts. And, purchase Double Duckpin Ale socks, as well as the ale, with a fetching design by Gilah Press.
Keep your chin up with inspiring cards by BmoreArt contributors Plum Rabbit Print Shop and JTBeezwax available at Keeper’s Vintage in Mt. Vernon.
Magazines for all your friends! Seriously. Give the gift of BmoreArt to everyone you know. We made you three magazines, so share the love. Available at the BMA Shop, Trohv, Atomic Books, Ivy Bookshop, Bird in Hand, the Made in Baltimore Holiday Pop Shop, and from our website. $15
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Author Cara Ober is Editor at BmoreArt.
