We Need Some Space: Help us find a home

by Jessica Burko

2013 Boston Handmade Holiday Gallery in Brookline Village

With temperatures diving, everyone planning end of summer getaways and BBQs for Labor Day, we at Boston Handmade are getting serious about our plans for our 2014 Boston Handmade Holiday Gallery, open annually from Black Friday through Christmas Eve. Each year we share the handmade love and create a temporary home for all things unique, locally made and handcrafted. We provide a high quality selection of goods for your holiday gift giving, host events and workshops throughout the season, and provide you with opportunities to learn about how and why creative professionals do what we do. Our pop-up holiday gallery has been an annual tradition since 2008 and we are committed to making it happen again this year. This year, we are asking for YOUR help.

2012 Boston Handmade Holiday Gallery in Canton, MA

The first item on our to-do list is the most important element of producing our pop-up gallery: finding a space. This year we are asking our fans and friends to lend a hand in our search for temporary gallery space. In gratitude for finding a space for our gallery we will honor our Handmade Hero with a bevy of gifts and awards of recognition plus a private preview party before our gallery opening day. Ever yearn to make a difference in your community? Becoming our Handmade Hero is an ideal way to help 30+ artists sustain their small businesses and take one more step towards achieving their professional and creative goals.

2009 Boston Handmade Holiday Gallery in Downtown Crossing

Here's the wish list of what we're looking for:

1000-2000sqft

Vacant retail space at street level
High level of foot-traffic
Convenience to public transportation
Availability from November 15th through New Years Eve

Target neighborhoods:

Belmont, Leonard Street or Cushing Square

Brookline, Coolidge Corner

Downtown Crossing, Washington Street

Jamaica Plain, Centre Street

Waltham, Moody Street

Our first Boston Handmade Holiday Gallery in 2008, in Downtown Crossing

For the Property owner/Management Company/Realty Company who supplies the space we will give our eternal gratitude plus they will become the primary sponsor for our 2014 gallery which means they will receive a wide variety of publicity and perks from us including:

Publicity via our blog, website, through all of our social networking

Promotional signage in the gallery space and at gallery events

Featured blog post (our blog received approximately 8,000 page views per month)

Publicity through our social media vehicles (at current count we have 1720 Facebook fans, 4,500 Twitter followers, 760 Pinterest followers)

Their logo and hyperlink will be added to our website

Their logo will be included in print and online marketing materials

They will receive acknowledgement and logo on a poster in our 2014 gallery space

and more!

Please forward this plea and help us share our search for space. If you have any leads for us comment here or email us directly at bostonhandmade@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who helps us realize our vision and pays it forward with this contribution to our Boston arts community!