Since its debut in October 2009, the Bowerbird design market has provided a place where hundreds of artisans have been able to establish a niche for what they love doing and want to share. Now, 15 years later, the market has grown to where everybody is bound to find something they’ll love.
For Bowerbird’s milestone birthday weekend, 150 exhibitors will be lined up, with 40 new to the market, including Laidy Byrne from Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Under the Hey Laidy brand she sells her heirloom woven guitar and camera straps, belts and purse straps. Her pieces are vibrant and alluring and achieve that elusive double of being both vintage and contemporary.
Having been crafting her straps for six or seven years, she is grateful to get her product exposed to the audience that Bowerbird provides.
“It puts you in front of the type of customers that appreciate handcrafted products over the mass-produced,” she says.
Living near Jervis Bay on the central NSW coast, jeweller Luke Abbot’s work is not only inspired by insects, but portrayed with stunning craft and beauty.
He manufactures strong and supple pieces like the honeycomb ring that mimics the tunnelling of a hive and iridescent dragonflies that hang off earlobes as if balanced there.
For Luke, Bowerbird’s reputation among his creative peers as a quality market was his reason for visiting the first time.
He’s now been active there for over five years and keeps coming back for his treasured customers.
You might like
“I also love visiting Adelaide, the drive across from home is great too,” he says. “I often see wildlife that is very different from home, particularly new birds.”
Long-standing local vendors of note include the Tea Towel Co from the mother and daughter duo of Beryl and Marchelle Matthew.
Starting out by repurposing vintage tea towels into cushion covers in 2015, Beryl was joined by graphic designer daughter Marchelle and the Matthews’ brand expanded to highlight their love of South Australia in prints, calendars, jewellery and, of course, tea towels.
They have even created a Magpie brooch.
Bowerbird always loomed large for the pair, with Marchelle attending as a customer since 2013, when it was still hosted in the Stirling Angas Hall at the Showgrounds.
With the shift in their business in 2018, primarily due to the introduction of Marchelle’s design and illustration work, the path became set for growth.
Bowerbird put out another call for more local businesses, and the Tea Towel Co made their Bowerbird debut in December 2020.
Marchelle credits Bowerbird with pushing them to continue developing the business.
“Given that we’ve attended every event for the past four years, we have to work hard to stay fresh and relevant,” says Marchelle.
“It’s also an incredible opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded creatives and speak to customers en masse to get feedback.
Subscribe for updates
“We’ve also been fortunate to have a few wholesale opportunities.”
Another local star is Back 2 Basics Traditions, run by Rob Dimasi, an artisanal providore dedicated to providing traditional seasonal Italian products by South Australian producers.
Their range includes crackers, southern Italian torrone (like nougat) and broad bean chips, among the biscotti, the olive oils, almond bread and vino cotto, the legendary ‘cooked wine’ that is native to the Italian provinces of Marche and its neighbour Abruzzo.
Often used as a superior alternative to balsamic vinegar, it is a Back 2 Basics staple and made by Rob himself from grapes sourced at McLaren Vale.
“Bowerbird is an artisan market with other creators who have the same passion for their products as we do,” says Rob.
“It’s well organised and has a great reputation with high quality handmade products, which also share a story.”
By joining four years ago, Bowerbird helped with exposure and connection to other producers who are also now friends and probably love a broad bean chip, a classic Southern Italian peasant food which rather than be fried in oil, Rob air fries.
“Touch of sea salt, delicious,” says Rob. “Great for kids lunch boxes or a platter and pairs great with a beer.” Amen to that.
Pick up some and head to one of the workshops on over the weekend, with a highlight sure to be the creation of a silver wiggle ring.
Jeweller Claire Brooks will show you how to carve the wax needed to provide a mould for your wiggle ring.
After the workshop, your wax mould will be cast in silver, and you’ll have created a stunning piece of jewellery.
Order a 15th anniversary tote bag online with design by the Tea Towel Co for $25 and get free admission to this mega-creative event.
Bowerbird 15th Anniversary is happening 22 – 24 Nov 2024, Fri: 4 – 9pm, Sat & Sun: 10am – 5pm at Wayville Pavilion, Adelaide Showground.
Entry is $6 per person and kids under 13 and Companion Card holders get in free.
Find out more here.