Moon Native Helps Shake up Local Art Scene at Handmade Arcade

No idea what to get dad for Father’s Day? Try one-of-a-kind cuff links made from antique china. Need a unique gift for a spring bride? Maybe she’d like some pastry-inspired bath soaps that look good enough to eat. Heading to college? You might want to liven up those dorm room walls with some original poster art.

At Handmade Arcade 2011, Pittsburgh’s original and largest independent craft fair, savvy shoppers can find thousands of offbeat, original and handcrafted items.

Moon native Jessica Manack, Handmade Arcade co-founder and a local artisan, said the event is a way to showcase Pittsburgh's burgeoning do-it-yourself art scene.

"The pieces made here really have some elbow grease in them," said Manack, a 1998 graduate of Moon Area High School. "You know that everything is made with care and not in a sweatshop."

Seven years after its first event, Handmade Arcade has become the premier arts and crafts event in the area. It received The People’s Choice Award for Best Arts Event from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council in 2007 and 2009.

Attendance has increased from 1,000 shoppers in 2004 to 9,000 last year. Thirty-two vendors participated in the first Handmade Arcade, and this year there will be 124. More than 16 states and Canada will be represented.

Manack, who will be selling her brand of eclectic, vintage-inspired buttons and other wares at Miss Chief Productions, said she gained some of her appreciation for the arts while attending Moon Area High School.

"I would say that our aim is to add a bit of art to every day life," Manack said. "Maybe you can't afford a $500 painting but you can get a one-of-a-kind poster to hang in your house."

Visit Handmade Arcade from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Admission is free.