For Westcotters, the big holiday shopping opportunity is always Plowshares Craftsfair, the crafts and music event organized by the Syracuse Peace Council at Nottingham high School every year – this year on December 7-8. There are many more local opportunities to buy gifts that bypass the big corporate retailers. Here, Carl Mellor provides some guidance …
A GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE SHOPPING, SYRACUSE 2024
by Carl Mellor
During November of 2024, marketing, shopping and shopping culture have shifted into high gear. There’s been a blizzard of TV commercials pushing everything from cars to mattresses, a huge number of print and online ads urging people to buy, buy, buy, and a mass of media coverage.
As usual, various media reports detailed folks sitting in cars in mall parking lots at 4:30 a.m. on Black Friday, a day on which millions of shoppers buy or attempt to buy a variety of goods. This isn’t a brand-new phenomenon; it’s happened for many years.
At the same time, a different story needs to be told. Locally, we have an alternative shopping circuit, one that emphasizes buying handmade goods, particularly those created by local artists and artisans. That circuit encompasses both stores that operate year-round and seasonal events or festivals. This article will focus on some of the stops on the Syracuse circuit.
First, Art Mart, a collaboration of local artists and crafters, is now in its 69th year. This holiday season, the group is operating out of the Museum of Science and Technology, at 500 S. Franklin St. Art Mart is located in the back end of the building, across the street from the Sound Garden shop.
The artworks on display at Art Mart include Judith Hand’s watercolors, Greg Trombly’s’ pastels, photos by Nancy Kieffer and Suzanne Waters, Cathy Lobdell’s fiber art and jewelry by Johanna Wall and Mary Ranieri. They and other participants share expenses and work shifts at the holiday space.
Art Mart is open from 11 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There’s no admission charge. Last-minute shoppers should note that Art Mart runs through December 25.
Another downtown venue, Wildflowers Armory, has a two-location set-up in the same building at 217 S. Salina St., near the corner of South Salina and East Fayette streets. Its mission is to promote sales of handmade items by local makers.
Upstairs, there’s a gift shop where consumers can peruse journals, books, collage art prints from Sunkiller Press, artisan soaps from Kingsley Street, ceramics and much more.
In the basement, there’s a variety of shops operated by individuals. The businesses include East Coast Bandits, which sells new and used vinyl records; Accents, which stocks jewelry, accessories and artworks; the Art Bodega, with its inventory of art supplies, miniatures and snacks. The Cherry Pit Collective is run by three sellers of vintage clothing.
In addition, Wildflowers welcomes pop-up vendors who will set up for a weekend downstairs.
Wildflowers Armory is open from 11 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. This is an ongoing venture which runs throughout the year.
Then, on the weekend of December 7-8, several alternative shopping events take place. First, Delevan Studios, at 509 W. Fayette St., just outside Armory Square, and the Gear Factory, at 200 S. Geddes St, are teaming up for an event which will run from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 7. There will be an opportunity to visit artists’ studios at both locations.
Delavan Studios has long provided studio spaces for various Syracuse artists—painters, sculptors, photographers and fiber works, among others. The Gear Factory, meanwhile, is a totally renovated factory space which houses both tenants and artists who rent a studio. This is an opportunity to interact with an artist and discuss the works she or he creates.
Admission for the event is $5.00, with that money going to Friends of Lipe Park. They plan to use the funds to purchase artworks for Lipe Park, an outdoor art space on West Fayette Street.
That same weekend, the Plowshares Craftsfair, a jumbo-sized festival, will take place on Saturday, December 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Nottingham High School, 3100 E. Genesee St. The festival is organized by the Syracuse Peace Council and benefits that organization.
Plowshares’ roster of artists is long indeed; it includes roughly 120 individuals from Central New York. Look for pottery by Manya Goldstein and Ken Nichols, Kris Waldron’s metalsmith jewelry, and Cathy Pence’s stained-glass works. In addition, Jill Hoffman will exhibit her paintings, and Barry Gordon will show his spoons and other wood works.
The festival is dedicated not only to handmade goods but also to principles such as peace and justice, compassion and environmental sustainability. Thus, several local groups will staff tables at Plowshares: the Peace Council, CNY Solidarity Coalition, Alliance for a Green Economy, the Central New York chapter of the ACLU, and others.
Admission to Plowshares is $2-$5, on a sliding scale. Individuals 65 or older or younger than 16 do not have to pay an admission fee.
On Saturday, December 14, Good Tidings on Westcott will be staged at 512 Westcott St., home for University Christian Fellowship. The event, which runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., will feature displays of artworks such as photos, woodworks, multi-media creations, paintings and other items. Their creators are from the Syracuse area. In addition, several musicians will perform; they include a vocalist, jazz pianist and classical guitarist.
There will be a bake sale, and coffee and hot chocolate will be served.
Admission is free.
And the ArtRage Gallery, at 503 Hawley Ave., is hosting its annual Fair Trade event. The goods on sale weren’t made locally; the event’s purpose is to secure a fair price for items made by crafters from around the world.
To accomplish that goal, ArtRage is partnering with three non-profit groups: Mayan Hands which works with artisans from Guatemala, Servv International, founded in 1949, and 10,000 Villages which began in 1946. The goods on sale include scarves, bags, table linens, sandals, coffee and much more.
The event runs from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13, and 11 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 14. Admission is free.
Finally, the Syracuse Cultural Workers, a group which began more than 40 years, is continuing to create and sell an array of products which it describes as tools for justice and liberation. SCW is best known for its annual Peace Calendar which is distributed not only in upstate New York but also around the country.
The 2025 calendar features artworks created in varied styles—illustrations, paintings, photos, collage and embodied art. Over 300 people’s history dates appear in the calendar.
However, it also sells the Women Artists Datebook with its mix of women’s poetry, prose and art, notecards, posters, buttons and stickers, T-shirts and books.
SCW’s gift shop, at 400 Lodi St., is currently operating on a holiday-time schedule. It’s open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. People who want to order online should access SyracuseCulturalWorkers.com.