E-MAIL INTERVIEW w/the Handmade Mafia’s Amy Edgar
I recently had a quick interweb chat with the lovely Amy Edgar, one half of the dynamic duo behind the Handmade Mafia – a very popular, very cool craft show that takes place in Old Strathcona (specifically @ Orange Hall and Savoy) on the first Saturday of every month.
(For anyone keeping track, that would be tomorrow).
Q: What is the Handmade Mafia?
A: The handmade mafia is a family of handmade makers. They are local people making the items they sell.
Q: Okay, and who are the Handmade Mafia, meaning: who organizes the sales? What gave you guys the idea for them?
A: The Handmade Mafia is Ally Ng and (me) Amy Edgar, but as a whole, it’s all the people you find inside selling their goods. We felt there was a need for a monthly market in Edmonton, but also [wanted] to keep it fresh and keep a rotation of sellers. Each month you’re going to find something new! We have a lot of sellers who are doing shows for the first time.
Q: How have the sales been received by 1) vendors, 2) shoppers, and 3) the community (for instance, the folks who host the sales, like Savoy and Orange Hall)?
A: Summertime is a hard time for craft shows in general, but we do have shoppers coming out every month. The ones who are coming out are happy to see the talent in Edmonton – it’s exciting and encouraging to see such talent, and sometimes it can be quite the boost people need to go home and get creative themselves. Both of the venues the show is located at are locally owned, so in a small way it’s supporting them as well. Savoy has provided a great location, and also has a full menu and drinks for shoppers who might be hungry while enjoying Whyte Ave. Orange Hall is a local historic site, and shoppers have been happy to find both places, as some were not previously familiar to either
