Two Big Shopping Events!

Want to snap up your own masterpiece—without the huge cost? Or better yet, that sweet pair of designer jeans for a lower price? Art Fair on the Square and Maxwell Street Days are just the answer to your shopping desires.

First, this weekend’s Art Fair on the Square is a bonanza of artists selling everything from: mixed media, ceramics, drawing, graphics and printmaking, fiber/leather, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal works, painting, photography, sculpture and 3-D mixed media and wood. Phew, that’s all of the categories! That’s about five hundred artists showing off their wares, folks.

While it’s not a “sale,” items range in cost from affordable jewelry and prints to pricey ceramic and glass pieces and everything in between. It all depends on what you’d like to spend—and of course, what pieces speak to you. So pick up your own little piece of art, whether it’s a pair of earrings or that must-have painting.

Yes, the Square can get crowded but Art Fair only comes around once a year—so why not embrace it, take your time, and support local (and national) artists?

Images courtesy of MMoCA.

Art Fair on the Square, July 11 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) July 12 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.). Capitol Square. Mmoca.org

Next weekend (July 17–19) is Maxwell Street Days. What is Maxwell Street Days, and why the heck is it called that when it’s on State Street?!

“Maxwell Street in Chicago, Ill., was home to a famed outdoor market and ‘urban bazaar’ from 1871 to 1994. In 1975, Martin’s, a Madison, Wis., clothing store and tailor shop, founded an outdoor sidewalk sale to showcase the State Street shopping district, starting Madison’s very own ‘Maxwell Street Days’ tradition.”

That’s according to downtownmadison.org, of course. Anyway, deals abound at the largest sidewalk sale in Madison. And I mean sidewalk sale in a classy way of course, not in a rummage-sale-selling-cheesy-owl-tapestries way. More than eighty shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants (most locally owned, of course) will have bargains on clothing, jewelry, home goods, shoes, active wear and more.

I must confess I am looking forward to bop’s sale. The fun, fashionable women’s shop will offer killer deals on tons of items in the store—including their best denim sale of the year. If you make the pilgrimage to bop, be prepared to wait in line around the corner—the sale is just that good.

Maxwell Street Days, July 17–18 (8 a.m.–6 p.m.) July 19 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.). maxwellstreetdays.org, visitdowntownmadison.org

Events

Fair Indigo Employee Pricing on Best Sellers
When: Now
Where: Fair Indigo, 570 N. Midvale Blvd. and fairindigo.com
Details: Everyone needs wardrobe basics: long-sleeve tees, tanks, cardigans, jeans, V-neck and scoop-neck sweaters and more. Fair Indigo is giving anywhere from forty-five to seventy percent off regular prices on these basics for men and women. I spotted a women’s cashmere cardigan sweater for $60 (marked down from $129) and a men’s pima cotton dress shirt for $20 (marked down from $50).
More info: fairindigo.com

Wine Tastings
When: April 8, 5:30–7 p.m., April 11, 2–5 p.m.
Where: Savoir Faire, 5 N. Pinckney St.
Details: Did you know Savoir Faire moved to a NEW location—and it’s back downtown again? Originally located on King Street, Savoir Faire moved to Greenway Station a few years ago. Now the shop is back to its downtown roots at a slightly different location. I’m guessing owner Kathie Retelle will still have all of her great gifty items, cards and wine for sale.
More info: 819-8066

Hair Affair: The Art of Hair
When: April 16, 7–10 p.m.
Where: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 227 State St.
Details: Give me hair! “Extreme hair sculptures designed and executed by premier area salons … displayed by live models” are what you’ll get at this event benefiting the Art League of MMoCA.
More info: 257-0158. mmoca.org
Photos above © Tom McInvaille

Wacoal Fit for the Cure
When: April 22, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Boston Store, 215 West Towne Mall
Details: Get a complimentary fitting in a Wacoal or b.tempt’d bra by a Wacoal specialist. After all, stats show the majority of women are wearing the wrong bra size! Wacoal will donate $2 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every woman that participates. Wacoal will also donate an additional $2 for every Wacoal bra, shapewear piece or b’tempt’d bra purchased at the event.
More info: 833-9799

Atticus Presents Meet the Cool Kids
When: April 23, 6–9 p.m.
Where: Atticus, 18 N. Carroll St.
Details: Do you like smaller, indie designers and one-of-a-kind items? This event is for you—a trunk show featuring apparel and accessories from local designers.
More info: 204-9001. atticusshop.com

Absolutely Art’s Re-Art Swap
When: April 25, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: Absolutely Art’s backyard, 2322 Atwood Ave.
Details: Perhaps the feathers your kids used for an art project are floating around. And you don’t need those extra beads for the necklace you made anymore. Bring them to the Re-Swap and swap them for new inspiration or simply donate them to someone else. Also don’t miss the Alley Sale for great deals, too.
More info: 249-9100. absolutelyartllc.com

World Fair Trade Day
When: May 9, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Where: Fair Indigo, 570 N. Midvale Blvd.
Details: Fair trade has long been a buzzword in retail—paying people fair wages and helping promote ecological practices just makes sense. On May 9, Fair Indigo is donating 100 PERCENT of its sales that day in honor of World Fair Trade Day—fifty percent will go to a local school and fifty percent to the Fair Indigo Foundation. The Foundation “is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational opportunities in the developing countries where Fair Indigo factories are located,” per a press release. World Fair Trade Day is the second Saturday in May and is organized by the International Fair Trade Association across seventy countries. It focuses on trading fairly with millions of producers.
More info: 661-7662. fairindigo.com

Flux Fashion Show
When: May 9, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Where: Monona Terrace, 1 John Nolen Dr.
Details: Every year the School of Human Ecology at UW–Madison sends off promising young design students looking to make their mark in the sartorial world—like a junior Karl Lagerfeld, or perhaps a younger Donna Karan. See their work at this show.
More info: flux2009@mail.sohe.wisc.edu or 262-4897.

To the Max

This weekend is Maxwell Street Days, Madison’s biggest shopping sale. Sidewalk sales will prevail as shoppers can pick and choose what items strike their fancy. Whether it’s a quirky, cool gift from Pop Deluxe, a slick T-shirt from Jazzman or a bejeweled something from Art Gecko, savings are to be had.

Bop started up the party by having a “preview sale” Thursday for mailing list customers. From what I understand bop’s sale can get pretty crowded and intense: Madison Magazine intern (and big shopper) Andrea told me the store had bins of jeans marked at sixty dollars on Thursday, along with lots of other markdowns on designers like Diane von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs. I think I’m going to have to make a stop; hey, in the current economic climate you can’t beat sixty dollars for high-end jeans!

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art museum store is having its sale indoors during Maxwell Street Days. Posters will be five and ten dollars each, along with sales on items like jewelry, toys, books and more.

Fanny Garver Gallery will be offering fifty percent off select items, which will include: art glass, jewelry, pictures and more.

Photos: Top two, Little Luxuries, bottom two, Pop Delxue

Other participants:
Fashion: Citrine, Goodwill Industries, The Peacock, Sassafras, Karen & Co., Jazzman, Lands’ End Not Quite Perfect Store, Mango Boutique, Sacred Feather, Steve & Barry’s, Sedona, Tiger Lily, Wintersilks and Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Madison Sole, Jack’s Shoes
Sporting Goods: Fontana Sport Specialties, Sports World, Yellow Jersey
Arts, Gifts, Jewelry: Anthology, Art Gecko, Capitol Kids, B-Side Compact Discs, The Fanny Garver Gallery, Little Luxuries, The Pipefitter, Pop Deluxe, Poster Master, Shangri-La Collections, Sunshine Daydream, Tellus Mater, Tropic Jewel
Health and Beauty: Community Pharmacy, The Soap Opera
Books: A Room of One’s Own, Mimosa Books & Gifts, Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative, Shakti
visitdowntownmadison.com
MMoCA, 227 State St., 257-0158. mmoca.org
Fanny Garver Gallery, 230 State St. fannygarvergallery.com
Bop, 222 W. Gorham St. 255-2570. shopbop.com

We Did It!

This month’s wedding photo shoot turned out spectacularly, and I hope you think so too. This endeavor was months in the making, and we can’t be more pleased with how it turned out. Once again, many, many thanks to John Urban (photography), Tim Burton (Mad Mag’s art director), MMoCA and Fresco, “I Do” Cakes by Betty, Studio Bloom (flowers), Premiere Couture (our lovely dresses and tuxedos), ANiU Salon Spa & Yoga (hair and makeup), our lovely models Annie Nelson, Joe Thomas, Abby Simmons and Paul Standring, and Mad Mag interns Abby and Jessica. Click HERE to see our exclusive behind-the-scenes video of our photo shoot at MMoCA. Hear what I have to say about the planning of the shoot, as well as hear our models’ take.