Look out, art lovers—a brand new art show will be arriving in West Chester, Pa. on May 11 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Local Yoga Café. Dubbed “Craftswoman,” the event will host approximately 10 different vendors who will be selling and showcasing their goods ranging from jewelry, essential oils and candles to fine art and photo prints. If art isn’t your scene, Craftswoman will also have food, drinks, live music and even a woman doing henna.
The event is a brainchild of fourth-year communication studies major and West Chester University student Amanda Saleh. When asked what her inspiration was for creating the event, she responded, “I was prompted to do this event for a few reasons. In January, I started a job at a marketing firm in Fishtown as a marketing coordinator. I was super excited about it at first, but staring at a white wall and a computer screen for six hours just wasn’t cutting it.”
“I wanted to do something more meaningful,” she went on, saying that because she liked candles, she decided to start making her own and selling them. The actual idea for the event came about after she attended “Time to Pretend,” an art show in Philadelphia which also focused on art created by women. On the event, Saleh remarked, “It was super inspiring, and after some thought, I realized that I could do the same thing too.”
I asked Saleh about the significance behind both the name and the focus on women artists; she replied, “I think women in art aren’t as respected as they should be, and they need an excuse to do what they love, so I created a reason for them to do so.”
From there, Saleh discussed the idea with her friend, Kaitlin, who is also the owner of Local Yoga Café. After reserving the space for the evening of May 11, Saleh began contacting vendors and artists. The rest is history.
When asked what her experience has been like planning an event of this scale, Saleh was generally enthusiastic about it. This isn’t her first time working on an event like this: she interns for Briana Louise Photography in Philadelphia, who also happens to be an event coordinator and who, Saleh said, has “been really supportive.” Additionally, Saleh works for Kaly Clothing in downtown West Chester where she also has some experience helping out with events.
Overall, the community has been very supportive of Saleh in her efforts in making this event a success: “I am really overwhelmed by the amount of interest this event has received from the community, and I’m super grateful for the support from people like Polly Zobel, my boss—the owner of Kaly—and the owners of [local] businesses such as Cookie Dope and Prana House.”
While this will be the inaugural showcase, Saleh hopes to continue it in the years to come. She said that if it’s successful, she’s hoping to bring it back approximately every six months in various locations such as Kennett Square.
Saleh finished off our interview with her final reason for organizing Craftswoman, saying that for the past year, she’s interned at WCU’s Center for Community Solutions, helping small businesses get off the ground. She went on to say, “Working with small businesses has taught me that I need to really be concerned about where my products and services are coming from, and I would much rather help out a small business than Starbucks or Target.”
Before departing, Saleh left me with some food for thought: “People in this day and age are starting to become more self-employed, which is amazing, and we need to create outlets to provide for this niche.”
Tickets for the show cost $10 ahead of time and $15 at the door; this will include food and drinks. Additionally, local band Mesén Around will be performing live at 8 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit amandasaleh.com/craftswoman.
Lauren Detweiler is a fourth-year student majoring in English writings with a minor in communication studies. ✉ LD838069@wcupa.edu.