28 artists at Wragg Square craft show through Sunday

When driving or strolling past Wragg Square on Meeting Street this weekend you may notice a cluster of colorful canopy tents filled with innovative works by local and visiting artists.

Twenty-eight artists, whose crafts range from clothing and jewelry to dishware, will be present on Saturday and Sunday at the 2023 Piccolo Spoleto Craft Show, sponsored by Charleston Crafts Cooperative Gallery. The craft show kindles connections and conversation between artists and the public, as well as offering an uplifting community for artists to learn from one another.

Ceramicist Brooke Schneider, who grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, said this is her second year participating in the Craft Fair held at Wragg Square.

“It’s tough when you’re out here under tents in the pouring rain, but the community here is really, really sweet.” Schneider said. “But it’s a really great market, and it’s fun to be here, especially with everything happening with Spoleto.”

Schneider said the design of her pottery is influenced by Southern landscape and culture and with glaze choices are inspired by the colors you see while in the south. She designs and creates dinnerware like mugs, plates and bowls as well as home decor like trinket dishes, custom pet cups and more.

Currently Schneider lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee, at her home studio. Many of her pieces are thrown on a pottery wheel, while some are hand built, she said. Schneider’s ceramic works with exposed clay detailing (like these floral mugs featured) are a result of her process of hand drawing on clay before glazing and firing each piece.

Artist Cindi McFadden, who makes singular handcrafted jewelry — necklaces, earrings and custom orders — from old, “upcycled” watches and watch parts. McFadden, who works and lives in Charleston, said she’s been creating her unique jewelry for about 15 years.

McFadden said her idea of “upcycled” watch jewelry was sparked when she made a “5 o’clock somewhere” necklace, as a thank-you gift for a friend. While disassembling parts of an old watch, one particular piece caught her eye. “I thought wow, if that had two ears, whiskers and fangs that would be a tiger,” McFadden said. “And that’s how it started.”

According to McFadden she has been selling her work at Wragg Square Craft Fair for nearly 10 years. She said she enjoys sharing her knowledge of watches with those who stop in her canopy tent. “I have watches made out of 300-year-old watch parts,” FcFadden said. “People don’t realize that watches were chain driven and that women made these beautiful delicate balance cogs for pocket watches.”

Travis has been creating custom woodwork for about six years.

Woodworker Jason Travis, based in Hollywood, South Carolina, began creating custom woodwork for roughly six years now — the former landscaper said he would collect wood and create with it in his free time. “Being involved with Piccolo Spoleto Festival and other shows is flattering being grouped in with these artists, which means my work is of that caliber,” Travis said. Wragg Square Craft Fair is a great place to learn from other artists about pricing and client management.

In addition to cutting boards, tables and wood mirrors, Travis also makes innovative punk lamps. He said he aims to create pieces that are both functional and visually appealing for customers.

Travis works with epoxy resin (what he called the latest craze) to add color to his pieces. Oftentimes he’ll create with fractal burning, a technique where you use a high voltage electrical current to create a wood burning pattern, which he then fills with various resin colors.

IF YOU PLAN TO GO: The show is open through 6 p.m. June 3. Its final day is 11 a.m to 5 p.m. June 5. Location: Wragg Square on Meeting Street between Charlotte Street and Ashmead Place.

Natalie Rieth is an arts journalism graduate student from Syracuse University.