Photo Courtesy of: Sean Deckert

Story By: Hector Salas Almeida

The Artisan Market, at the Scottsdale Waterfront, has served as a venue for artists from around the valley to showcase their work while providing a tight-knit community for local artists and art enthusiasts to gather on Thursday nights and Sunday mornings for the past five years.

Due to a petition from the Scottsdale Gallery Association, who hosts art walks and exhibits at local museums in Old Town Scottsdale, the Scottsdale City Council rescind the permit allowing the Artisan Market to continue hosting their biweekly events at the Scottsdale Waterfront earlier this month.

Audrey Thacker, founder and owner of the Artisan Market, has worked along with others to fight for the Artisan Market. Her appeal has been denied by the City Council for a permit to operate in the spring. Now, Thacker can appeal once again or pack up and find a new place to set up shop.

“We are all being displaced now. We are all unsure of what are next year looks like in terms of finances and the types of events we are going to do,” Thacker said.  

After one trip down to Scottsdale from Montana to showcase his and his wife's work at the Artisan Market, Ke’vin Bowers moved down to Arizona a month ago because of the response from the community to his art work. After a couple weeks went by, he started to hear about the issues surrounding the market and how it might be shut down. Bowers said “we are scrambling right now to find other shows,” after the last Thursday night of the Artisan Market.

“It is going to cost me about 1000 dollars a week for not being here on Thursday nights,” Bowers said.

Bowers said that the local businesses in Scottsdale benefit from the foot traffic the Artisan Market brings to the area and the environment it fosters through the artist who showcase their work on the Scottsdale Waterfront.

Cindy Lopatynski is a local jewelry artists who has participated in the Artisan Market for many years. She said that many residents have expressed to her and other artist that it is sad to see the end of this market. Some have said that they love the market and were planning to do holiday shopping on Thursday nights this season.  

Lopatynski also said that the City Council should have let the Artisan Market go on with the season and made a decision on the issue for next year. One thing that she has enjoyed most about the Artisan Market has been the community Thacker has built. “Audrey built a wonderful sense of community with the artist,” she said.

The community enjoys what the Artisan Market offer because it is an experience, Thacker said. “Everyone is enraged,” she said. Thacker said that everyone has been confused and upset when they realize this event is going away.

“I think everyone is a little heartbroken right now. I know I am. It’s my baby,” Thacker said.

The Artisan Market will continue to showcase artwork and host events on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the rest of the year. To learn more about the Artisan Market, visit http://artisanmarketsaz.com/.