So I'm hoping for a nice long-winded ZAS diatribe on Skullys up in here.
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Some years back, Liz Rosino started making her own punk & tattoo inspired clothing and housewares. After travelling around to various cities, selling her stuff at Alternative Craft Fairs, she decided that Columbus needed its own Alternative Craft Fair. After all, we are the Indie Art Capital of the World. Anyways, after the Columbus Atheneaum (sp?) pulled out at the last minute before the the first Craftin Outlaws event, Liz rented Skully's to hold the event. It was, that year, successful in that it actually happened, vendors sold their wares and shoppers showed up to buy. Craftin' Outlaws was a success in that it provided a spotlight for the blossoming Columbus alternative craft community, who were the events' true stars.
Since that time, participation in the event has ballooned, the number of vendor applicants has surged, attendance figures have climbed ever higher, various media outlets have taken notice; essentially in a very short time, it's become a staple Columbus event.
It's also a lot of work. And it's done for free.
Free in that, no money is made on the event, all sponsorship dollars and vendor application fees are put right back into promoting the event for the vendors, whether its internet ads, promos on CD101 or in print ads in the Alive. -And monies remaining or made from the sale of raffle tickets are donated to Rwanda Knits. Liz has been doing this event for the enrichment of the community, because of what it means to the local arts scene, the artists she knows and businesses she appreciates. Within the last year, the crafting community has responded to the workload necessary to create the event, with more volunteer presence than ever. While Liz may still be at the helm, Craftin Outlaws has become bigger than any single individual, belonging to the entire crafting community.
Since the first Craftin Outlaws, other craft fairs have been created such as The Couchfire Collective's Tiny Canary and others have grown, such as The North Market's Artisan Sundays. These events share Craftin' Outlaws focus on the Artist and Arts Community as well as the Alternative, DIY, Handmade spirit. Because of the scheduling of these events as well as their own unique personality, it allows each event to attract a healthy crowd, which is good for the vendors, venue and Columbus as a whole.
The Craftin' Outlaws event has remained at Skully's the last three years, on approximately the same date because of the success of the first year, and the established relationship with Skully -who has been there to unlock the doors and sell beer and food to vendors and shoppers. With Vendors filling the entire upstairs and downstairs of the venue, stretching through the patio, out into the parking lot (between dumpsters and all) it became apparent that Craftin Outlaws had outgrown Skully's. Rejecting vendor applications is always a dreaded aspect of organizing a craft fair, though necessary with only a limited amount of space. Also unfortunate, is vendors and shoppers having to negotiate a forest of tent legs and tie downs, necessary in the event of rain out on Skully's patio.
For this years' 4th Annual Craftin Outlaws event, a solution was found on broad st.'s Bar of Modern Art (BoMA) which is large enough to house the entire event, all 60 Vendors without the tent legs and dumpsters. The management was very energetic to attract the event and eager to accommodate Liz & Co.'s needs. Not so enthused was Skully, who feels some kind of heated rivalry with BoMA for nightclub supremacy here in town. Craftin' Outlaws making a necessary step in the growth of the popular event incensed Skully, who alleged 'having done so much' for Craftin' Outlaws, in spite of never having actually spent a dime to promote or accomodate the event. With all ads, posters, flyers as well as the Tents and tables being provided by the Vendors fees, out of private individuals' pockets and the sponsorship that Craftin' Outlaws could organize.
(all my information is second hand, btw. I apologize for the lack of specificity)
It was with some laughable surprise and mild annoyance that I learned of Skully's "4th Annual" Alternative Craft Fair being held the same date as last years' Craftin' Outlaws. -Which is on August 16th, 2008 this year- Essentially Skully is throwing his own craft fair, obviously hoping to cash in on the continuity that Craftin' Outlaws has built in holding their event at his venue on near the same date for the last three years. The duplication of the Craftin Outlaws' event even goes down to copying Craftin' Outlaws exact western style font on the print ad and a verbatem copy Craftin Outlaws' 2007 Vendor application.
Slow to ire, Liz simply called Skully looking for some manner of compromise. Specifically, she was interested in Skully removing the '4th Annual' tag from the event, and possibly rescheduling so that the public would not be confused. Skully flatly refused any consideration on either point.
This is particularly insulting to the Crafting Community for a few reasons:
1. It undermines the hard-sought, legitimate efforts of individual artists and independent businesses for creating a popular event which exposes the public to the benefits of DIY, Handmade items as well as celebrating Columbus' local artistic talent.
2. It presupposes that their is a magical 'on/off' switch, that will allow vendors -out of thin air- to create their wares and show up ready to sell to a duped public, led to believe that the Skully's Fair is indeed Craftin' Outlaws, Not respecting the enormous amount of work that goes into creating all of the individual wares that the vendors sell, as well as the event itself.
3. Skully is willing to alienate dozens of businesses, perhaps hundreds people, in what is essentially a pissing contest between himself and BoMA to create the most popular club in town (WTF?)
My point in writing this long-winded post is quite obvious, there is only ONE Craftin' Outlaws. It is at BoMA on August 16th, 2008. Please do not be fooled by the pale imitation being created at Skully's.
http://www.craftinoutlaws.comThanks,
Josh
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