Things got weird almost immediately at the Gainesville Local Art Mart. Initially, I was distracted by the smell and sight of people making pizza inside the building, but it quickly became clear that many Gainesville residents make some crazy crafts. If you ever wanted to get some organic catnip (for just $2!) or a few bedazzled felt Christmas tree ornaments, this is definitely the right place.
I waded through a crowd of young hipsters and older, more conservative couples until I saw something that caught my eye: pregnant animal-themed art. The idea of that sounds really creepy, but in reality it was actually cute.
The artist, Juli Elin Toro, who is going to have a baby in about two weeks, said she started making the prints because she wanted to create art that related to her pregnancy.
Toro, 23, has never seen any expecting rhinos, buffalos or bears but said she “just kind of made it up.”
I made my way through the maze of tables overflowing with fishing lure key chains and bowls of girly headbands before I once again encountered something I had never seen before.
In the corner, I spotted several people playing with sparkly multicolored hula hoops. This was somewhat shocking. What was even weirder was that these people were not just testing them out; they were actually buying them.
Later, I saw a table covered with small cloth purses that turned out to be reusable snack and sandwich bags.
Juli Adams and Meg Pearce, both 2008 UF graduates, started Moja Creations online about 10 months ago on etsy.com, which Adams described as “an eBay for homemade items.”
Although this is their first craft show, the pair has sold more than 2,500 items online and has received international orders from Australia, Canada and Singapore.
The bags, which come in kid-friendly prints like dinosaurs and other more adult patterns, are popular among schoolchildren and women who take their lunch to work, Adams said.
Overall, the craft show didn’t really feel like a craft show. There were no tacky Christmas sweaters adorned with puffy paint and appliques, but there was creepyfound-object jewelry and a yarn chandelier. The sale showcased the bizarre things hidden in Gainesville that we sometimes look over.
