Arts + Public Life has selected over 30 local artists and creative entrepreneurs to be showcased at this year’s Vends + Vibes: An Arts Marketplace in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood. In its second year, Vends + Vibes–a family-friendly, multi-site boutique winter marketplace–offers an ideal holiday gift-finding event. Featuring handmade crafts and unique products by local artists and makers, as well as food and drinks from local restaurants, chefs, and breweries, the event will be soundtracked by Mr. JayToo on Saturday and DJ Jo de Presser on Sunday. Attendees can support local artisans while enjoying seasonal drinks from Revolution Brewing or commissioning a personalized poem from the youth poets at Rebirth Poetry Cafe. Vends + Vibes takes place at the Arts Incubator, 301 E. Garfield Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60637, on Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2015, from 1:00–5:00 pm each day.

“After last year’s success, we are delighted to showcase even more talented local artists and artisans at the two-day Vends + Vibes marketplace this year,” said Tempsett Hazel, Arts Program Manager and Curator, Arts + Public Life. “Vends + Vibes is now an annual South Side wintertime tradition that provides Chicagoans an opportunity to support local artists and creative entrepreneurs, and to learn more about what we do at Arts + Public Life.”

Additional highlights include:

• Artist-led creative activities for kids, families and the young at heart
• Customized poetry at the Rebirth Poetry Cafe
• A family photo booth
• An open bar with wintry drinks provided in part by Revolution Brewery
• Open studios of the Arts + Public Life/Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture Artists-in-Residence

Vends + Vibes vendors offer a diverse selection of products including bright and bold fashion and accessories from ILAVA: It can be done, unique leather jewelry from KFLEYE, one-of-a-kind bowties by ReformedSchool, PUR’s revitalized homegoods, or delicious and fair trade sweets from Mindful Indulgences.

Gift giving can have a greater impact with support for artists like LEARNtheBrand Impact Apparel, a social entrepreneurship brand that donates part of their proceeds to organizations that are providing meaningful learning experiences, or Justice of the Pies whose founder and head culinary artist Maya Camille Broussard hopes to grow the company to help fund professional development and training in the service industries for formerly incarcerated populations.

Vends + Vibes: An Arts Marketplace is presented by Arts + Public Life, UChicago Arts, Washington Park Chamber of Commerce, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) with additional support from Revolution Brewing, BING Art Books, and Currency Exchange Cafe. 

EVENT DETAILS:

Dates: Saturday, December 12, 2015 and Sunday, December 13, 2015
Times: 1:00–5:00 pm each day

Website: arts.uchicago.edu/vendsandvibes

Location: Arts Incubator, 301 E Garfield Blvd, Chicago, IL 60637 (across from the Garfield Blvd CTA Green Line stop)

COMPLETE LIST OF 2015 SELECTED ARTISANS:

Afro x Naut
Fashion, Oak Park

Ayana Contreras Vintage
Fashion, South Shore

BKE Designs
Furniture, Tri-Taylor

BLKLST
Fashion, Grand Crossing

Button What
Buttons, Northwest Indiana

Cartografika
Map Art, Ukrainian Village

Cyn’s Delights
Jewelry, Washington Park

Deana's Jewelry and Things
Jewelry, Beverly

Exotic Scents of Mind
Skin care, Washington Park

Faith Jewelry Designs
Jewelry, South Shore

Fèhìntì by Moji Akinde
Homegoods, Hyde Park

GEOSUFF GEERE
Fashion, Washington Park

Ilava : It can Be done
Fashion, Bronzeville

Justice of the Pies
Pies, Hyde Park

Kaike
Skin care, Round Lake

KFLEYE
Jewelry, Austin

KING ONYE LABEL
Jewelry, Pilsen

Kristena Witherspoon Designs
Fashion, Lincoln Square

LEARNtheBrand Impact Apparel
Fashion, Hyde Park

Maggie Joyce Recycling
Jewelry, McKinley Park

MASHALLAH
Jewelry, Bronzeville

Mindful Indulgences, LLC
Chocolate, South Shore

Never Doubt Just Fly (NDJF) Clothing Company
Fashion, Hyde Park

PUR
Fashion, Washington Park

Pearlie Taylor Artworks
Original Art,

ReformedSchool - Chicago
Bowties, Bronzeville

Soul Spoken Designs
Jewelry, North West Indiana

TAKARA Designs
Fashion, Oak Park

West Side Cultural Arts Council
Jewelry, East Garfield

ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO’S ARTS + PUBLIC LIFE INITIATIVE

The University of Chicago’s Arts + Public Life initiative, led by visionary artist and UChicago professor Theaster Gates, builds creative connections on Chicago’s South Side through artist residencies, arts education, and artist-led projects and events. Public events and exhibitions led by Arts + Public Life program curators, resident and visiting artists, as well as campus and community partners, take place at the Arts Incubator, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, and in the surrounding neighborhoods. These programs act as catalysts for collaboration and exchange, creating dynamic and critical creative spaces. Learn more at arts.uchicago.edu/apl, and follow Arts + Public Life on Facebook, Twitter, and Instragram.