New markets show off Atlanta artists work

Atlanta is fast becoming a haven for artists. With three new retail venues opening in the past year, artists across the state and the region have several new opportunities for showing their wares.

There’s a quarterly market, a retail store and an artists’ collective, all of which aim to bring an eclectic mix of art and gifts to consumers at affordable prices, but each has its own distinct flavor.

Paper Mill Market is a three-day European style bazaar that takes place quarterly at Paper Mill Square in Marietta. About 50 vendors are housed under an 11,000 square foot tent.

Gifted is a year-old retail boutique tucked among restaurants and galleries in Historic Roswell, featuring the work of 130 different artists from the area and around the country.

The newest entry, At The Collective, which opened in March, is an artists’ cooperative with an outdoor patio for special events and a loft-style space showcasing the work of about 38 Georgia artists.

Paper Mill Market

May 15 - 17; Fri. & Sat., 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. - 5 p.m

177 Village Parkway, Marietta

(corner of Johnson Ferry & Paper Mill Road)

Tina Soucie launched Paper Mill Market to recreate in Atlanta the European markets she loves. “There are a lot of markets and a lot of festivals, but none that had a lot of guts to it,” she said. Soucie likes having a Marietta location, which offers many of the artists, some of whom are well known in other parts of the city or the country, exposure to an entirely different set of customers. The range of goods, from personal care products to antiques, includes custom Italian pottery from Wild Olive Company, $25 and under jewelry by the three Screaming Sisters, rock candles by Rockin Flames and handmade children’s clothing from Handmade Charlotte. Soucie plans to keep the market relatively small to avoid repetition. “Bigger is not always better,” she said.

Gifted Artist Market & Gift Boutique

Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sun. 1 - 5 p.m.

944 Canton Street, Roswell

After participating in various markets around Atlanta, Debbie Rogers, store owner, had an Aha! moment. “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to have a permanent craft show?’” After a serendipitous encounter with a vacant space in Historic Roswell, Rogers reached out to friends from other markets. Many enthusiastically greeted the idea of being part of a permanent market in what was already a shopping destination. Most items are under $100, and about 30 percent of the vendors are local artists. There is jewelry by Mary Cannon, prints of Atlanta landmarks in the tradition of the ’20s and ’30s by Thomas Burns and handmade fabric headbands from Elegant Designs in Dacula. Rogers says she likes to keep the offerings interesting. “People linger in the store because there is a lot to see,” she said.

At The Collective

Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sun., 12 - 6 p.m.

280 Elizabeth Street, Suite B103

A constant stream of foot traffic services this Inman Park collective of artists while an open-air garage space for events and seminars adds to the shop’s community feel. “We wanted to bring our artist friends together and give other artists the opportunity to show their work,” said Susie Caldwell, who co-owns the space with Sally Larsen. With Caldwell’s background in antiques and design and Larsen’s contacts, the two created a space for more than 30 artists to sell their products ranging from the hip clothing of Lori Ronca’s Stay Low, Run Fast to the fair trade Kenyan crafts from Gifts on a Mission. In addition to giving artists a permanent space, it also gave a local business, Foresters Greenhouse, a place to continue selling flowers to the public after the company went wholesale. “People want to have a gift or take something home that they know something about,” Caldwell said. “This is not something they would pick up at Target. Everything here has a story.”