On Feb. 6, the University of Massachusetts’ Stonewall Center held its third annual Queer Artisans Market, bringing together LGBTQ+ artists and creators to sell handmade art in the Student Union Ballroom.
The Stonewall Center has organized the event since one of their student staff members proposed the idea over three years ago.
“To me, what I really love about it is walking around, you just see the skill, how talented some of our students are,” Genny Beemyn, the director of the Stonewall Center, said.
The event allows crafters to both showcase their work and earn money. Beemyn says the event was intentionally held near Valentine’s Day to give vendors the option to feature themed items and allow shoppers to potentially buy gifts for the holiday.
According to Beemyn, the market features around 40 vendors, and about three quarters of them are UMass students.
“[Student vendors] tend to graduate so we get some new vendors, but we have had some vendors that have been here all three years,” Beemyn said. “Some are community people and some are students who came early.”
Fae McNamee, a senior art major who sells under the name Price Fae Art, has attended all three of the Queer Artisans Markets, as well as the UMass Student Farmers’ Market and the Student Art Sale.
One of the pieces McNamee has for sale that is especially meaningful to her is a digitally drawn print based on a photograph she took of a friend posing.
“I have a lot of friends who sell here,” McNamee said. “I think just meeting the other students and seeing their art, seeing all the different kinds of art that people sell, that’s my favorite part.”
The market also features non-student vendors such as Alex Mancini of Worcester, the owner of Crafty Queers Studio. This is Mancini’s first time selling at the market after they discovered it through social media.
“I’ve had this business since 2018, so it’s gone through a lot of ups and downs,” Mancini said. “I do a lot of markets all over the place.”
According to Mancini, their favorite part about being an artist and vendor is being creative and sharing it with others to connect to various communities.
Mancini’s favorite product they sell are their bookmarks. “They’re my newest product, I’ve worked very hard on every single one of them and I’m really proud of them,” Mancini said.
Another student vendor, Ak Sabde, a junior communications major, has been a vendor at the Queer Artisans Market for two years. As a member of the Stonewall student staff, her job is to help organize, create and manage events.
“I’m both behind the scenes and out here, so I see a lot of vendors come through,” Sabde said.
After the Stonewall Center moved to Goodell Hall, the event has had much better outreach, with over 70 vendors applying, according to Sabde.
Sabde said her favorite product that she sells are handmade flowers. “I feel like you can gift flowers to anyone in your life,” Sabde said.
Her favorite part of being a vendor and artist is seeing returning customers.
“I had a daughter buy flowers from me and then the next market, come back with her mom so she could get the same matching flowers,” Sabde said. “That was something I really cherished.”
Isabella Kosiba can be reached at [email protected]. Lacey Carciero can be reached at [email protected].
