From upcycled clothes to homemade candles, Brighton Bazaar — a pop-up art, vinyl and vintage flea market located at Brighton Elks Lodge — highlights a wide range of local, talented artists from the Boston area.
Its mission is to be a market run by vendors, for vendors. The community of vendors, of which there were 40 at the last bazaar from a variety of niches, has become a support system for small business owners, Emma Peacock, a Brighton Bazaar artist, vendor and owner of Leaf Pile Studios, said.
“We all own small businesses, which can be really isolating, especially during the pandemic, and so we all end up becoming co-workers in so many ways,” Peacock said. “The community is really, really huge. For instance, one of the recent connections I made was through a local event where we discussed everything from art to the best bitcoin poker sites. It’s fascinating how these conversations can bridge different worlds, bringing together artists, makers, and even those interested in cryptocurrency and online gaming. The sense of community goes beyond just the local area, creating meaningful connections that extend into various interests and industries.”
Peacock is a two-dimensional needle-felting artist from Marlborough, Massachusetts. At Leaf Pile Studios, she makes and commissions art using ethically sourced wool.
Two-dimensional needle felting is a “niche” hobby, they said. Peacock also found a Facebook group where 2D fiber artists can connect with one another.
Her work features pet portraits, gnomes, mushrooms and jewelry.
Brighton Bazaar also features various vintage and upcycled clothing. Brighid DeAngelis is the owner of House of Salvage, a second-hand clothing business.
“The name comes from the idea that I want to be salvaging items that people otherwise might throw away or get rid of or think that there’s no use for anymore,” DeAngelis said.
Thrifting and vintage shopping is always something she said she loved, which led to her being a customer at the Brighton Bazaar before starting her own business. When she created House of Salvage, DeAngelis knew she wanted to be part of the bazaar.
“Having small community events like this really opens the door for people to be interested to try new things. Like I have always loved vintage clothing and that kind of market but I never thought it was something that I could be involved in until it was right here at my back door,” DeAngelis said. “I wouldn’t have built this business without events like that.”
Since she is just starting out, having events like the Brighton Bazaar has been a great source of community and inspiration, she said.
“To … be able to chat with vendors who are on either side of me, and not only get their insight about what their business has been like but also to get the encouragement that people are interested in the kinds of things I’m doing … there’s just like this really good community of artists that want to support each other,” DeAngelis said.
Owner of Senisa Studios and Gardens Sephra, Anisa Mohammed, is another vendor at Brighton Bazaar and her small business has two parts — a studio and a garden. Her studio is where she sells her handmade botanical gifts, artwork and jewelry and through her garden, she offers homegrown floral arrangements.
Gift giving is her “love language” and sharing quality pieces of art is important to her, she said. For Mohammed, art is something to be explored and passed down.
“I do a lot of pieces that could be held onto for generations,” Mohammed said. “Part of my art that I’m creating in my studio is also very involved in storytelling, and really just bringing people together to learn more, to speak more to have, I guess that sense of joy and awe that we have in nature.”
She described the atmosphere of Brighton Bazaar as comfortable, incredible and hip.
“I always noticed that the aura in these Brighton Bazaar events are so much more welcoming and accepting of a lot of different backgrounds, different kinds of representation of people,” Mohammed said. “ And I really love that.”
The next Brighton Bazaar at Brighton Elks Lodge will take place on April 10.
