Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524900
6 • THE ARTISAN FALL 2024 GUILD NEWS RETURN OF THE CRAFT FAIR: (So nice we had to do it five times … and counting!) A brief history: In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, I was sitting on the couch and going rather creatively and financially stir crazy. I started to think back to the days spent with my father (a painter and wood sculptor) helping him at summer art fairs in my hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Realizing that many members of Local 706—in addition to being the best at their respective jobs of hair styling and make-up artistry— also have hobbies or interests that could translate into income, I thought … why not organize some kind of fair that could help us generate some creativity, camaraderie, and money during such a weird uneasy time? I hopped on the phone with my like-minded friend, Amy Sparks, and the Hair Stylists and Makeup Artists Cra Co-Op was born! During that summer, we held two outdoor fairs (adhering to strict COVID protocols) with 15 vendors each in the parking lot of the South Hills Burbank Church, which donated the space. With absolutely no advertising budget, our goal was simply to generate income for the participants so that they might supplement their unemployment. e money collected for the table spaces was then donated to the Motion Picture Entertainment Fund (MPEF). Once COVID was in the rearview mirror and productions started up again, the cra fairs were pretty much forgotten—until the WGA/SAG strikes once again brought everything to a grinding halt. Finding ourselves in the same financial and creative predicament, Amy and I dusted off our sales aprons and decided to look into finding a bigger space for the event, finally settling on the sound stage at Local 80 as our next venue. Our first sale at Local 80 was held in July 2023, with 35 vendors and the addition of food trucks (all of B Y M A R I A S A N D O VA L Local 706 at the BET Awards L-R: Tai Young, Lauren Guzman, Geno Freeman, Alyssa Hudson, Department Head Make-up April M. Chaney, Schuron Womack, Rebekah Aladdin, Jennifer Garcia, and Geneva Nash-Morgan at the Nokia Theater at L.A. LIVE. Photos by Frank Schaefer Maria Sandoval and Amy Sparks Glenn Alen Ramona Fleetwood and Joleen Rizzo