Swanky Goods
The Big Heap Vintage and Handmade Festival, which will take place April 19-21, 2013 in Cave Creek, Arizona, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, has lined up an impressive array of artisans.
The festival’s unique vendors include artisan favorites Diablo Forge, Rust and Roses, Ms. Funky Junk, Bella and Bruiser, award winning jeweler, Lilia Corona, Fiber and Fire, Vintage Bruja, leather maker Victor Cerda, Divine Bakery, Modern Nostalgic, Vintage by Jen, Rethunque Junque, Vintage Bliss, Grizzly Iron, Mystic Pieces, Whimsical Garden Things, Vagabond Exchange, Rookie Lucas, Sugar Jam, Rust and Roses, Chrysalis Gourds, Nic Cappele, soy candle expert, Larry Wolfe, master pen maker, Julie’s Home Dcor and Paris Montana, to name a few.
The Big Heap also has developed “Pay It Artward” as a new signature activity of the popular festival. Visitors to the event can purchase a chance for $1 to win one of renowned sculptor Aaron Voigt’s robots with the proceeds going to Pay It Artward so a future artist can create an art piece for a public art space.
Along with the community art program, The Big Heap will showcase expert Aaron Voigt as he constructs a full size robot from vintage, upcycled, salvaged and industrial items he is collecting from vendors at the Thieves Market in Cave Creek the first Saturday of every month.
Tickets for the robot, products for which he is well known, will be sold at the West’s best juried vintage, industrial, modern, hand wrought, recycled and salvaged goods. Voigt, founder of Voigt Metal, finds his materials of choice in metropolitan Phoenix, an area filled with industrial, electronic and military manufacturing history.
Voigt was voted Best of Phoenix by the New Times in 2012, won best in show 2012 at the Tempe Arts Festival and received Best of Show at the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival last year. His robots include sculptures, piggy banks and he creates shirts for human wear and bike racks, among other items.
In addition, the spring Big Heap event will feature author Mary Emmerling who will sign her new books, “The Art of the Skull”and “The Art of the Heart.” Emmerling also has penned “The Art of Turquoise” and “The Art of the Cross,” two books which she will have available for sale.
Emmerling is the best-selling author of more than 25 books and was the creative director of Country Home Magazine for 10 years. She hosted HGTV’s Country At Home show, worked as the decorating editor for House Beautiful, and was editor-in-chief of Mary Emmerling Country Magazine for the New York Times.
During the festival, visitors will be entertained by the Willy Nilly Band, belly dancers and several gourmet food trucks. At the end of the festival, the lucky winner will be presented with the robot.
OPEN THE FRONT DOOR TO The Big Heap
