Merry Marketplace Holiday Art Market Brings Local Arts Economy to Forefront
The Crooked Tree Arts Center hosted Merry Marketplace on Friday, December 5, offering visitors the chance to shop hundreds of handmade gifts and works of art from artists across the state. The free event, part of a wider holiday program, highlights the Crooked Tree facility's role in supporting artists, driving downtown foot traffic, and expanding access to cultural offerings in Grand Traverse County.
The Cornwell Gallery at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Traverse City held Merry Marketplace on Friday, December 5, presenting a broad selection of handmade gifts and original artwork by artists from across Michigan. Admission was free, allowing a wide cross section of residents and visitors to attend without cost barriers. The marketplace was part of a coordinated holiday program that included companion exhibitions and related events such as the Small Works Holiday Exhibition, the OAC Holiday Artisan Boutique, and the Art Tree and Ornament Show.
Organized programming at the Crooked Tree serves multiple community functions. It creates a retail and exhibition venue for artists who rely on seasonal sales, it draws patrons into downtown Traverse City where they are likely to patronize other businesses, and it reinforces the arts center as a public cultural institution accessible to diverse audiences. The event listing notes additional Pop Up Holiday Art Market dates on Saturday, November 22 and Saturday, December 6, indicating a sustained effort to distribute opportunities for sales and public engagement across the holiday season. Residents seeking specific hours and details are directed to the Crooked Tree Arts Center website at https://crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city/merry-marketplace-holiday-art-market.
From a policy perspective, events such as Merry Marketplace raise clear questions about municipal support for arts infrastructure and the potential return on public and philanthropic investment. Increased foot traffic and sales at arts markets can contribute to local sales tax revenue and to the economic health of service and retail businesses near cultural venues. At the same time, free admission removes a barrier to entry, expanding civic participation in cultural life but also placing pressure on arts organizations to secure operating support through grants, donations, and partnerships.
For Grand Traverse County officials and voters, sustained attention to how arts programming is funded, marketed, and integrated with downtown economic planning will shape future opportunities for artists and the broader community. The Crooked Tree Arts Center’s holiday programming this season underscores the intersection of cultural access and local economic development, and it provides a concrete example for officials and civic groups to consider when evaluating support for arts institutions.
