Saturday at the Market

The Strutt looks beyond coffee and beer with the Saturday Art Market and ambitious festivals

(Chyn Wey Lee / Western Herald) Zsuzsierdi, a WMU alumni from Hungary, works on her mood-inspired stained glass art last weekend during The Strutt Saturday Market.

By Koty Neelis
Western Herald

For artists and art lovers alike, the Strutt may be just what Kalamazoo has been missing.

Since the middle of January, Darren Bain, owner of the coffee house and bar, located at 773 W. Michigan Avenue, has hosted the The Strutt Saturday Art Market every Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m.
The Saturday Art Market features local artists in a flea market-type setting that allows them to sell home made crafts, art, jewelry and anything else they please.
Bain is hoping for many great things to come, not only to his business, but to the general Kalamazoo area as well.

Currently, Bain is working with Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. to shut down the surrounding neighborhood and Academy Street for an art festival, tentatively scheduled for the beginning of June.

“The city will have to get involved,” Bain said. “The artists will have to get involved. It’s such a great way to boost sales and to meet people. It can give people more than just what the Art Hop has to offer.”

While other areas in Michigan, including Ann Arbor and East Lansing, offer annual art fairs, Kalamazoo has yet to offer the residents of the community something similar to what Bain is hoping to give, with the exception of the annual art fair in Bronson  Park.

Clearly brewing coffee is just one of the many things he aspires to do.

(Chyn Wey Lee / Western Herald) WMU student Piper Walker, right, checks out handmade crafts made from recycled items by Larissa Touloupas, left, at The Strutt Saturday Market last weekend.

Bain is currently in talks with the management of the Blind Pig, a popular nightclub and music venue in Ann Arbor, to bring an indie rock music festival to Kalamazoo with a working title of “The Strutt and Pig Festival.”

The only thing stopping it from happening is the lack of a vendor, which Bain remains optimistic about.

“People seem really into it. All we need is to find a vendor to make it happen,” Bain said.

Customers coming in and out of the Strutt seem pleased with the progress and dare to ask if there’s anything else like it in the area.

“This coffee house is so much more than just the typical label of a coffee house,” said Ryan Judge, 24.

“There’s music, there’s art, there’s food, there’s beer,” Judge said. “It’s a place where people of all ages and races can come and find something to enjoy. You see people selling their jewelry or maybe some used books. In the corner someone is playing the guitar or someone else is studying for an exam.”

Kacey Lathrop, 21, is excited for the possibilities.

“I’ve been coming here for a long time and I like this place because it’s so warm and inviting,” Lathrop said. “I think the owner has great visions for the future of this business and also for Kalamazoo. He understands what the younger populations of Kalamazoo are looking for in an establishment.”

For those interested in selling their art or collectibles at the Strutt Saturday Art Market please contact Darren Bain at (269) 492‑7200 for more information.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=5337

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Mar 31 2009. Filed under A & E. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
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