Top photo: Scott Sweet of Rexburg paints realistic landscapes based on photos from his outdoor adventures. Sweet’s and other local artists’ work will be showcased at Saturday’s East Idaho Art Market. | Courtesy photo
By Emily Miller
REXBURG — The East Idaho Art Market is back this weekend after a stellar first event last summer. The second annual fine art market will take place this Saturday, August 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Madison School District field at 60 W. Main Street in Rexburg. The field is located north of the district building and east of Broulim’s.
The market’s founder, Alex Reed, says this year’s market will feature a variety of artists, mostly from southeast Idaho, offering fine art across the spectrum of artistic media. About 30 vendors will be at the market, which was created to showcase local fine artists and artisans.
“We have someone who does ceramic pottery stuff — mugs, bowls, plates — someone who tumbles their own rocks and makes them into jewelry, painters of different media, etc.” Reed says.
Art appreciators can also enjoy some of the culinary arts at the market.
“We have a taco bus coming, and the popcorn people coming. We’ll have drinks and someone making macarons,” she says.
The East Idaho Art Market debuted in August 2022. As artists themselves, Reed and co-founder Shelby Thayne created the event, which was inspired by the Utah Art Market, as a way for local fine artists to have a unique opportunity to showcase and sell their work in a curated market. The two also hosted a holiday art market and plan to do so again this November.
Reed says she was happy with how the first summer market went and hopes this weekend’s event will be similarly successful.
“The whole energy and vibe was exactly what we wanted it to be,” she says. “I think what we created is a really good environment where people can actually talk to the artists and get to know them, and artists can get to talk to the community and share what they’ve created with their heart and soul. I think it just created this really cool community bonding moment and people creating beautiful things inspired by where we live.”
For more information on the East Idaho Art Market, including information about vendors, visit the market’s Instagram.
