Community market makes its return

THE Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Maker and Community Market will run for the second time next month with a special focus on not-for-profit stallholders.

BMI cultural development manager Mark Potter said the upcoming event will once again host talented artists and creatives, but also community groups.

“We’re wanting to make the event a regular event. So, the first one was really our launch, and we were really happy with the feedback we got,” he said.

“We also want to have a point of difference and that’s where we would like to think that we’re a little bit different because we want to engage community groups as well as artists.

“In this particular market we’re wanting to keep the focus on makers and high-profile artists, and we’ve got a really good calibre of artists involved in the market but we also want to make sure that it has a community focus as well.”

The Country Women’s Association of Australia will join next month’s stallholders, and Mr Potter said, “It’s an opportunity for them to interface with the community and tell them about the work that they do for the Ballarat locals”.

Marketgoers will still get their art fix though from creatives across various mediums.

“Our prime aim is to help local artists get their wares out there and also give them an opportunity to talk to people about their practice which for many artists is just as important as selling their goods,” Mr Potter said.

“It’s an opportunity for them to engage with the community and learn what the community is looking for.”

Visual artist Melinda Muscat formed such connections at the BMI’s first market two months ago and said she was approached by many people who had only ever seen her work on her Instagram page.

“What you see on the screen is not always a fantastic representation of seeing your work in person and people get to see it, feel it [and] ask you questions so having that interaction with people is really good,” she said.

The market will run from 9am to 2pm on 19 June at the Minerva Space on Sturt Street. For more information including stallholder descriptions visit ballaratmi.org.au/event/bmi-maker-community-market.