When Gina Comeau and Rachel Blair-Johns met two years ago they bonded for a variety of reasons, but it was after comparing notes over a coffee that the two jewellery makers (Comeau is Three Oak Jewelry, Blair-Johns is Ment Jewellery) decided Dartmouth Makers had to happen.
“We were kind of like, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if there was something here in support of people like us?’ So we did it,” says Comeau. This weekend marks the third juried show put on by organization: The Dartmouth Makers Spring Pop-Up (Saturday, May 7, 10am-6pm) will bring together 45 local and visiting artisans and crafters, and their wares, at Christ Church Parish Hall (61 Dundas Street).
And the prganizers say if they had more space, they could easily fill it. “We always envision ourselves as a support system for career artists and craftspeople, and a launching pad for newcomers,” says Comeau, who names Michelle Saint Onge, Looking Glass Design, Shoshi Designs and Gateaux Rose as some of the vendors to watch for this Saturday. “We were looking at some of the applications that came through and finding people who were unbelievably talented and making beautiful stuff, and we’d never seen them before! We’re really getting into the nitty-gritty of what we set out to do.”