In the worker and commuter-filled high-rise canyon that is the Ballston neighborhood, it can be easy to miss some of the cultural events that take place right below its denizens’ noses.
Only a few steps from the Metro Station at the heart of the neighborhood, one of those events is taking place right now: The Ballston Arts & Crafts Market.
Now in its fourth year of existence, the market gives local crafts makers an opportunity to ply their wares in a fun and inviting outdoor atmosphere with lots of foot traffic from the nearby transit hub.
"A market is the most ideal place to sell and buy," said local photographer Steve Miller who is selling prints of his works at the market. "The fellow exhibitors create a sense of energy."
While the Ballston Arts & Crafts Market has been successful in the past, this year’s incarnation has some significant differences over previous years.
The county’s Department of Cultural Affairs had traditionally sponsored the event along with the Ballston-Virginia Square Partnership, a collection of businesses in the Ballston area. But the county pulled out of this year’s event which forced the Partnership to acquire private sponsors.
The major difference in this year’s market, however, comes from its new organizer, local artist and designer Kristina Bilonick.
Bilonick was charged with finding vendors for the once-monthly market, which runs throughout the summer. Instead of focusing only on the usual homemade jewelry and photography vendors that make up most arts & crafts markets, she decided to go in a different direction.
"People in the last few years have been traditional," Bilonick said. "I was hoping to add funkier, edgier stuff."
That would explain some of the more unusual items for sale at this year’s market, such as 2 Hounds Productions’ pet portraits which offer the consumer an opportunity to appear with their pet – via extensive Photoshopping – in a variety of outlandish scenes.
"I started doing it with my own Christmas cards," said 2 Hounds Productions proprietor and Alexandria resident Janelle Welch. "And people said ‘You should start your own business.’"
At last month’s market, dozens of people strolled in and out of vendors’ tents perusing the goods on display while a rock band played in the middle of it all.
Kathleen Bertrand lives in the Ballston neighborhood and said she came to the market to buy earrings.
"I’ve never been here before [because] I moved here in December," she said. "But [the market] is pretty good."
Marie Pogenschutz is also an Arlington resident. She came to the market because she has an affinity for homemade crafts and wanted to check out the jewelry.
"[The market] is really exciting," she said. "Especially in Ballston where there’s not really anything exciting."