SOLOMONS, Md. – On Saturday, June 3rd, the Annmarie Sculpture Gardens held its first-ever annual Cultural Arts Market. This new market celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity of the arts in Southern Maryland and the influence of other cultures on artists all over the world.
The market consisted of a number of local vendors from SOMD selling a number of arts and crafts, as well as fair trade products as well.
One of these vendors included Miki Gerkin, an artist who immigrated to America from Japan. Her particular art involves using fabric from Kimonos, a traditional Japanese dress, to create items such as earrings, bags, and pins. Gerkin also has her own studio called Piccole Gioie.
Another vendor was Tasnim McWilliams, an artist who specializes in Indian handcrafts, especially clothes made from Indian fabrics.
“I’m loving it here because I have the opportunity to show my hand crafts to those who otherwise might not be able to see this”, said McWilliams.
McWilliams also has her own art and gift shop called Caught My Eye, located in Melbourne, Florida.
During the event, we were thrilled to discover the beautiful collection of handmade pottery by vendor Rachael Platt, owner of One:Eleven Pottery.
Annmarie Gardens staff member, Stacy Hann-Ruff, talked to us about how excited her and the rest of the staff were about this event. “We are trying to support Southern Maryland cultural arts and it is a real pleasure to do so for our community.”
Annmarie Gardens hopes that with the success of this event they can expand it into something much bigger in later years.
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com