CAN Journal brings you this easy, alphabetical guide to holiday markets, stores, and pop-up events featuring works of Northeast Ohio artists and artisans.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, most art events planned for this winter have limited admission, and while almost all of them remain free, many require pre-registration. All in-person, indoor events require wearing facial covering. in most cases, in-person events will allow you to show up without an appointment, but many will assure that you don’t have to wait by giving you the opportunity to sign up for a specific time.

These listings are based on announcements from each presenting organization, at press time. Depending on the course of the disease and trends in rates of infection, events may be added, cancelled, or postponed. Check the CAN Weekly e-newsletter for the most up-to-date information. To subscribe to the free CAN Weekly, visit CANjournal.org and look for the “Join Our Email List” button on the right side of your screen.

818 Studios
2020 Vision
Through December 31

You wouldn’t call it a Holiday Show, but 818 Studios has gathered 20 well-known Cleveland artists inspired by the insanity that was 2020, each presenting two works. “With the world in such chaos I hope that this show will offer some solace and relaxation from the everyday worry that we’re all facing,” says proprietor Barbara Merritt. Artists include  Pat Broughton, John W. Carlson, David Louis Cintron, Hadley Conner, Mary Cregan, Doug Hamann, Jacci Hammer, Joan of Art, Adam Cappe, Aaron Koonce, Barbara Merritt, Dan Miller, Jim Morana, Karen Petkovic, Scott Pickering, Chris Stofan, Mark Meier II, Douglas Max Utter, Anthony Van Rooy, Samantha Vickers, and Rebecca Yody. Covid compliant, open viewings are in the evening, December 3, 9, 17, 23, 30, or by appointment any time through December 31. For information, go to merrittphoto.com.

78th Street Studios
Black Friday, Nov. 27
Third Friday Dec. 18
Third Saturday, Dec. 19

While there’ll be no huge maker show at 78th Street Studios this year, many of the galleries, arts and businesses are keeping extended days and hours. Collectively, they’ll be open for Black Friday shopping 11 am – 4 pm November 27. And to spread out the crowd a little, in December they’ll be open not only Third Friday, but also Third Saturday, December 18-19. Check out their Facebook page to see who’s open when, or go to your favorite business/studio for updates. 78th Street Studios

Abattoir
Through New Year’s Day

The new gallery in the Hildebrandt Building has brought together thirty artist for a show called Small Works, which is proportioned perfectly for the holidays. Artists exhibiting include Jerry Birchfield, Hector Castellanos-Lara, Gianna Commito, Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson, Leila Khoury, Dante Rodriguez, Grace Summanen, Erykah Townsend, Lauren Yeager, and many more. Small Works is open by appointment through New Year’s Day. Abattoir is at 3619 Walton Avenue, Cleveland. Call 216.820.1260, or go to abattoirgallery.com.

Akron Art Museum
Online only

While the museum is temporarily closed again, you can order from the museum shop online, stocked with books, exhibition catalogues, posters, jewelry, project kits for kids, cards and Akron-centric items including a set of Akron neighborhood postcards and even a limited-edition print based on a drawing by Mark Mothersbaugh of the famous Akron band, DEVO.  Akron Art Museum

BAYarts
November 27 – Deember 24
Plus online

BAYarts’ annual holiday shop features a wide assortment of fine art and crafts by area makers, including holiday cards, ornaments and decor, jewelry, ceramics, glassware, paintings, prints and more. This year it runs from November 27-December 24. You can shop online or, as of this writing, in person Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Thursday until 8, Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday noon-5pm. Only ten people are allowed at one time; masks and social distancing are required. Kids’ shopping days are December 12-13,when children get help selecting gifts for their family and friends. Private shopping for your pod of 6-10 people is available; email Karen@bayarts.net. BAYarts

Cleveland Bazaar/Crafty Mart
November 28 -29
Online only

Two of the biggest holiday maker events each year are the Cleveland Bazaar, which fills 78th Street Studios from top to bottom for a weekend each December, and Akron’s Crafty Mart, which traditionally takes place in and around Summit Artspace. This year the two markets have joined with Pittsburgh’s I Made It! Market to host Holiday Handmade 2020, a weekend virtual market Saturday November 28 and Sunday November 29. It offers the chance to browse an even larger group of creators than any one of those markets would have provided on their own.
https://www.facebook.com/events/253885399356687/

Cleveland Museum of Art
Online only

With Cuyahoga County under a new shut-down order, the museum has once again closed. But you can shop in its online stop where you’ll find lots of books, including exhibition catalogues, posters, creative children’s toys, home décor, jewelry, artist-themed face masks, and stationery, among other things. Spend $20 and get free CMA mask to wear when they reopen! https://shop.clevelandart.org

Flux Metal Arts
Holiday Make-and-Take, and Shopping

Flux Metal Arts is known best as a studio where you can learn to work metal in a variety of ways to make jewelry and whatever else your imagination conceives. And you can reserve time in the studio for your family or group of six to create personalized ornaments in a festive make-and-take program. The possibilities continue with gift shopping (both online and in the shop), and of course the prospect of the gift of knowledge: With gift certificates, you can give the maker in your life time and / or classes in Flux’s studio—which, with separated, individual work stations is set up for COVID-safe metal working.  Flux Metal Arts is at 8827 Mentor Ave., Suite A,  in Mentor. Call 440.205.1770. Call or go to fluxmetalarts.com.

Framed Gallery

Framed Gallery on Waterloo Road offers a wide variety of African American-created and -themed art work by artists from across the country and abroad, in a wide range of styles and price points. The gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday 1-5pm or by appointment.
https://www.framedgallery.net

Hale Farm and Village
Holiday Lantern Tours December 4-5, 11-13, 18-20 and 22-23
Plus online

The MarketPlace at Hale Farm and Village in Bath, a recreated 19th-century Ohio village, reflects some of its historical vibe in the handmade crafts it offers: candles, pottery, glassware, jewelry, brooms, garden items, clothing and more, made by Ohio artisans, much of it as our 19th-century ancestors did. Wines and locally sourced/produced food items are part of the mix too. Shop online, or onsite at the store during regular hours. Book a slot of one of their holiday lantern tours December 4-5, 11-13, 18-20 and 22-23, and make a stop to shop as well.
https://www.wrhs.org/themarketplace/

HEDGE Gallery

HEDGE Gallery in 78th Street Studios is open by appointment to show potential buyers works by the mostly Cleveland-area artists they represent, who have had shows at the gallery. They also have a new book of artist Liz Maugans’ witty pool drawings, a great stocking stuffer.
https://www.hedgeartgallery.com

Heights Arts Holiday Store
November 1 – December 28
Plus online

Heights Arts’ holiday store is back for the 20th year, with items such as note cards and holiday cards, ornaments, unique jewelry, prints and paintings, glass and ceramics items and more by more than 80 local artists. You can shop online for pick-up or in the store (wearing a mask ad social distancing) and you can peek in the window where a rotating display of work will be on view. They bring in new items by artists as others sell so the mix of items is changing every week.
https://heightsarts.square.site

La Cosecha Galleria
Holiday market December 7

This small gallery, which focuses primarily on the creative output of local Hispanic artists (as well as others), will be hosting a holiday market Saturday December 7 @ 4-10pm. The event runs simultaneously with a “Poetry & Pizza Show,” featuring an open mic with cash prizes for musicians, poets, comedians and other entertainers of all types.
Click here.

Made Cleveland: Coventry Village
November 27 – December 24
Plus online

A new network of Northeast Ohio makers and craftspeople called Made Cleveland is setting up shop in at 1854 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights’ Coventry Village weekends and select dates November 27-December 24. If they’re not open at a time you can get there, you can make a private shopping appointment by emails hello@madecleveland.com/. Masks are required! You can also preorder your gifts to be picked up or shop online at the Made Cleveland website where you’ll find paper goods, jewelry, body care products, home decor, fashion accessories, wreaths and fine art, by dozens of local creators. Click here. www.madecleveland.com

Maker Town
Online only

Maker Town isn’t a holiday sale per se. It’s an app that connects northeast Ohio galleries, artisan businesses, artists and makers, both online and physical, with shoppers. It features contacts for hundreds of local businesses & artists, making it an easy and convenient way to shop local all year around.
https://www.facebook.com/MakerTownApp/
https://linktr.ee/makertown?fbclid=IwAR26bwi-bUT9PZaKEZOoD17SSxzalQMuPaZaw4bbx9W8DI0bWXe9cqnjiBg

Market on Market
Saturdays, November 21 & 28 and December 5 & 12

Celebrate not one, but four Small Business Saturdays at this in-person, socially distanced Holiday Artisanal Market that showcases local artists and their handmade work. It’s three floors of open galleries and pop-up vendors, at 140 East Market Street, Akron. You can just show up to open studios—Walk-Ins are welcome–or ensure that you won’t have to wait by reserving a ticket.
https://www.facebook.com/events/821967381886350/

Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory
December 4 – 20, online only

Morgan Conservatory will be hosting its holiday market, online only, from December 4-20, featuring handmade work by Morgan members. It’s not devoted strictly to paper-based art, although cards, artist books, zines, prints and photography are usually a significant part of it. But it’s also accepting glassware, ceramics, jewelry and textiles, among other things. And while the facility is closed, you can still purchase a wide selection of their handmade papers at their online store. Gift cards are also available.
https://www.morganconservatory.com/s/shop

Photocentric
November 18 – December 12
Plus online

Photography gallery Photocentric has catalogues from its past exhibitions as well as limited edition prints which you can buy online. It will be hosting a holiday sale November 18-December 12, with hours Wednesday-Saturday @ 11am-6pm, Fridays until 8pm. Masks are required and number of people in the gallery at one time will be limited.
https://www.photocentricgallery.com

Screw Factory
November 28
December 18 – 19 – 20

The Screw Factory artists at Lakewood’s Lake Effect Building will be open for Small Business Saturday November 28 @ 10am-4pm. The annual holiday market is scheduled for Friday December 18 @ 6-10pm, Saturday December 19 @ 10am-6pm, and Sunday December 20 @ 10am-3pm. Expect fewer doors open and fewer guest artists this year in order to maintain social distancing. However, the building is large and spacing isn’t a problem. Check their page for updates. “We will be carefully monitoring Ohio & Cuyahoga County guidelines for retail shopping,” they say.
https://www.facebook.com/events/623237515153356/

Susie Frazier
Online only

Nature-based artist Susie Frazier, one of the original tenants at 78th Street Studios, has made the decision not to be open during the building’s upcoming holiday events. But her online store offers a full range of her products intended, she says, “to help you feel a sense of calm”: mantra and intention blocks, jewelry, driftwood candle holders, ceramic items, small furniture, pillows, textile items, sculpture and more, with natural wood, metal and stone predominating. She’s also offering free local delivery.
https://www.susiefrazier.com/collections/store

Talespinner Children’s Theatre

Talespinner is known for its multimedia, interactive productions that incorporate costuming, puppets, masks and other dynamic visual elements. It’s offering make-it-yourself craft kits that share some of that multi-media creativity, as well as Holiday Story Time, listen-at-home interactive stories based on the scripts for three of its past productions, which are based on myth, legends and fairy tales from around the world, all written by northeast Ohio playwrights.
https://www.talespinnerchildrenstheatre.org/holiday/#storytime

Van Aken Holiday Pop-Up
November 28

Made Cleveland teams up with the Van Aken District (3401 Tuttle Road, Shaker Heights) to celebrate Small Business Saturday with a holiday pop-up event from 9 am to 4 pm November 28. Capacity monitored, social distancing encouraged, masks required, and you can sign up for free tickets to get priority admission. http://thevanakendistrict.com/

Young’s Art Center Holiday Boutique
November 28 – December 19

Young’s Art Center is “an art, education, & events space working with creatives of all ages.” They bring a family-friendly art center to Fairview Park. In the Holiday Boutique, Proprietor Chris Young presents a Member Show, featuring works by artist members of the art center, and also a Twinkle Shop, where everything is under $5, and all the proceeds benefit Young’s educational programs.  Young’s is at 22084 Lorain Road, Fairview Park. https://www.youngsartcenter.com/

Zygote Press: Off the Wall
November 28 – December 20

Zygote Press’s annual Off The Wall holiday sale features handmade works by local artists who work at the facility, ranging from interns to some of the area’s best professional artists. Zygote also has small items such as blank books and cards in its shop. Online only through Dec. 17th. Curbside pickup is available through December 20. Click here to shop.