Pop Shop Houston: We’re never doing this again. . .
UNTIL NEXT NOVEMBER!
What a wonderfully crazy, joyous and wild ride this has been. We just finished our 4th big event in our 2nd year. Things have changed so much over the last two years that it’s a good time to reflect. Let’s talk about what we’ve done and let’s talk about where we are going.
First of all, we’ve grown a lot. Our first event in November 2012 had about 50 handmade makers. Most of them, including Yoko Vintage, Forgotten Arts Clothing, and Tiny Deer Studio, still work with us today! Around 1,800 attended the first Houston Holiday Pop Shop. And because of how new it was, it has still feels like one of my favorite Pop Shop’s ever.
In May of 2013, we were getting almost 100 vendor applicants per event. We were having to turn away lots of people for Mini Pops and even more for the big events. Although patrons and organizers alike love to keep things fresh and work with new people, we were saying no to many talented that we just couldn’t seem to make room for.
A lot of our colleauges are earning a living by making things. This is not a hobby, but a career for most.
We moved to Silver Street Studios last November, where we can accommodate around 100 talented makers. With 5,000 in attendance things were a little crazy to keep up with, we were almost glad to have a little bit less this last May of 2014–except that we have a blast talking to festival goers, vintage collectors, and indie fanatics alike. This May, total attendance was 3,200.
Second of all, we are glad to represent lots of different styles-not just one style. We’ll always be that way. People that come to Pop Shop might love vintage or they might love handmade. Perhaps someone is looking for goods that are edgy and cool but others like things that are pretty or refined. If Houston is a melting pot of awesomeness, why not let our design goods reflect that?
Third, we’re teaching workshops. This May we had the pleasure of working with Mind Speaks and CMJ Bakelabs. Mind Speaks really rocked it with a “DIY” make your own cork jewelry and key chain workshop. It was totally free and people had a blast making them. Here’s our how-to if you want to try it at home. This May was the first time we taught workshops ourselves! We made our own ecologically friendly household cleaning products, hula hoops, and terrariums. We’ll be teaching more workshops this summer at the Houston Public Libraries and Harris County Libraries.
To look at more photos from the event May 3rd and 4th, click here!
We hope to see you soon!
XoXo,
Brittany @Pop Shop America
Let’s Stay Friends!
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