Contemporary Crafts Market Returns to Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Today

The Contemporary Crafts Market will return one last time to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (today, June 7-9, 2013) before the venue closes for renovations. (The market will relocate to the Pasadena Civic Center during the renovations, beginning with the November 2013 show.)

Celebrating 28 years at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, the premiere event for one-of-a-kind functional and decorative crafts will once again feature the distinctive works of over 240 of the nation's finest artists and craftspeople ranging from intricate jewelry, unique glassware and ceramics to hand-painted textiles, custom furniture, mixed-media creations and much more. All items on display and for sale have been jury-selected for their exceptional quality.

The Contemporary Crafts Market has been a showcase for burgeoning and established talent since its inception 28 years ago. The market brings together an eclectic mix of artisans, while also allowing visitors to meet the artists behind some of the nation's finest crafts.

Roy Helms, Contemporary Crafts Market founder, has continually sought to raise awareness of fine crafts as a serious art form by highlighting talented artists who have created a name for themselves and whose works can be found in national and international museums or galleries.

"Each year, the Contemporary Crafts Market provides shoppers and collectors with some of the finest craft pieces from across the United States," Helms explains. "This year will be no exception, as these artists have provided visitors with a truly extraordinary array of pieces that are perfect gifts for friends and family."

This year's market will feature a number of artists who take novel approach to the art of craft including:

Shell-Bell Designs:
Designer Shelli Kahl creates one-of-a-kind jewelry that celebrates how the artist herself lives free spirited, passionate and uninhibited. Each piece illustrates untamable texture that evokes imparting personality and beauty. For more information, please visit http://www.shellbell.com

Sandra Torres:
Sandra Torres creates fine porcelain ware that is simple, yet elegant. Each piece demonstrates a life of its own, moving to the heat of the firing and resulting in an imprint of its own memory. Delicate to the sight, yet strong to the touch, each piece maintains the soft bare feeling and translucency of the porcelain itself. For more information, please visit http://www.sandratorres.com

David Levy Creations:
Artist David Levy uses laminations of exotic and domestic hardwoods of contrasting colors and grains to produce artistic patterns in a variety of products, including kitchenware, desk accessories, game boards, game tables and furniture. For more information, please visit http://www.davidlevycreations.com

The Contemporary Crafts Market is held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main St. in Santa Monica. Show hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on June 7, 8 and 9, 2013. Admission is $8.00 for adults and children under 12 are free.

Contemporary Crafts Market
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
June 7-9, 2013
10a.m.- 6p.m. Daily
Admission: $8, children 12 and under free
Contact: http://www.craftsource.org or call 310.285.3655
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/contemporarycraftsmarket
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/craftsmarket/ccm-santa-monica/