Gifts Abound at Minor Bird’s Holiday Art Market

Hard to believe, but the holidays have arrived! And if you’re trying to imbue your holiday gift-giving with handmade love and local ChathamU flair, look no further than the Holiday Art Market, a gathering of student makers hosted by Chatham’s undergraduate literary magazine Minor Bird. This year’s Holiday Art Market will take place Wednesday November 16th from 11am - 2pm in the Welker Room of Laughlin Music Hall, and will feature student artists, photographers, crafters, creators, and more.

Get to know more about the Holiday Art Market and Minor Bird below, and meet some of the artists in attendance there.

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“I think the most unique thing the market is going to offer is the truly one-of-a-kind pieces each artist has created.”

— Carlee Shreve, Minor Bird Layout Editor

The Holiday Art Market started small last year with eight student vendors in the Carriage House and a desire from Minor Bird’s team to showcase all the creativity at ChathamU. According to Layout Editor Carlee Shreve, “Last year it was something we wanted to implement as a way to truly highlight the student artists on our campus. It also works out really well with the timeline of holidays approaching and creating a way for the Chatham Community to support their fellow peers.” 

“This year, we are expanding our space and our vendors, and we are hoping to have an equally or more successful event. The goal at the end of the day is for student artists to be able to showcase and sell their work,” says Minor Bird Editor-in-Chief John Mamas. And there will be plenty of work to see and buy, from metal and crystal work to print making, watercolors, digital art, and more.

Below are just a few samples from some of the artists featured in this year’s Holiday Art Market:

My name is Jenna (she/her), and I am an environmental science major and botany minor here at Chatham. My hometown is about four and a half hours away, right outside of Scranton. I will be at the art market selling prints of some my favorite pieces of my artwork. My art is almost always inspired by nature, and I use it as a way to share what I appreciate in my perspective and style. My Instagram handle is @jennabcreates.

My name is Sydney Amdurs my pronouns are she/her/hers! I am from Irwin, Pennsylvania and I am currently majoring in Communications. I’ll be selling a mix of a bunch of different types of jewelry! I have a lot of crystal wrapped pieces, wood burnt earrings, and my Christmas collection. My IG is: @wishbonejewelry_

My name is Katelyn Nee, I'm from Erie, PA, and I major in Media Arts with a concentration in photography. I will be selling photo prints. Additionally, this year I'll be selling a collaborative collage I made with mixed media artist, Luana Góes (IG: @luana.g.m) as well as one of her works. When creating my work, my process centers around manufacturing nostalgia. I build this emotion by visiting places where I grew up and places that have strong emotional value. When viewing my work, I hope you are able to get lost in the photos and the stories they might tell you. My Instagram is @katelyanee.

If the literary arts are more in line with your interests, Minor Bird has plenty going on, as John Mamas fills us in: “As for upcoming events for Minor Bird, submissions for the 2023 issue are open until January 4th! Guidelines for submission are up on our Instagram (@minorbird_cu), but, in short, we are accepting prose, poetry, and art. Any questions can be directed to me about that. We will be celebrating the launch of the 2023 issue in this upcoming April. Other than that, keep your eyes peeled for a Valentine’s Day love-centric writing space.”

A big thanks to Carlee Shreve and John Mamas of Minor Bird for their help with this article. Don’t miss the Holiday Art Market on Wednesday November 16th from 11am - 2pm in the Welker Room of Laughlin Music Hall. Curious about Creative Writing at Chatham? We have many offerings, including an undergraduate BFA, minor, integrated degree program, and a low-residency and campus-based MFA in Creative Writing program, as well as a non-degree certificate in Travel Writing.