Community creations

Martha’s Vineyard Made brings the best of Island craftspeople under one roof.

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During the holidays, walking into Martha’s Vineyard Made’s retail shop in Vineyard Haven is like entering a fantasy of Santa’s workshop … but one where every alluring item was created by a local artist or artisan. It’s one-stop shopping for everything Vineyard, and a treasure trove of every kind of local item.

Tucked in a nook at 29 Main Street in Vineyard Haven (under Nochi and next to Tisberry Frozen Yogurt), the store sparkles with gifts for everyone on your list, including yourself. There are leather goods, ceramic ware of all sorts, elegant eye and calming pillows, herbal heat packs, beautiful art, luxurious body products, elegant jewelry, culinary treats, assorted clothing, aromatic candles, holiday ornaments, artistic cards, decorated dishtowels, glassware, Island-related books, and other items, along with a large selection of stocking stuffers. 

What the diverse creators of all these treasures have in common is that they are part of Martha’s Vineyard Made, which is much more than a store, but rather an art business support entity for local Island makers. It began in 2016, when owner Rachel Baumrin and former partner Heidi Feldman, now of Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt, started Martha’s Vineyard Made as a wholesale repping company. In November 2020, Baumrin, now the sole owner, along with her team, launched the website. Also, that holiday season, Martha’s Vineyard Made wound up doing a pop-up because it had an opportunity to support local makers and give them a location to sell their goods. After holding several pop-ups over the spring, they became a fully functioning retail location on Memorial Day weekend in 2021. 

Baumrin says, “When we were doing wholesale, we were driven to give Vineyard makers a voice and to introduce them to shops here as well as retailers off-Island. We wanted local businesses to support our makers first before they were buying from off-Island makers — making them top-shelf artists.” They were also able to secure a lot of shops for them on the Cape and southeastern Massachusetts, as well as Block Island, Nantucket, and Long Island. Some of the early group included Bluewave Beauty, Noepe Design, Stephanie Wolf Designs, and Ingrid Goff-Maidoff from Tending Joy, among others. 

Baumrin explains that Martha’s Vineyard Made offers members support, to those who want it, in all aspects of the business, whether they feel handicapped in such aspects as website development, social media, or shipping. She says, “These are huge hurdles for makers and artists who don’t want to do that work. In the present day, that’s the demand for how to succeed. It’s a whole other job, and it actually takes them away from doing art.” She continues, “Independent artists are handicapped in that they are expected to market themselves, sell their product, run a business … and make the art. Martha’s Vineyard Made is offering support on whatever an artist or maker needs, for the cost of membership and a percentage that they pay on top of sales. But it takes the burden of all that off their shoulders of having to do it themselves.”

Baumrin and her team are not sitting on their laurels. Martha’s Vineyard Made is always metamorphosing to continue building on what they have created. Part of her action plan includes being a member of a newly formed Vineyard Haven cultural district, which is a reformulation of a body of people. She says, “We are getting together to discuss, support, and nourish Vineyard Haven and its cultural district, so that we are part of the conversation of the Tisbury master plan. I am a member because I feel that Martha’s Vineyard Made can grow even bigger and offer more support to artists.” 

Indeed, Martha’s Vineyard Made is growing in leaps and bounds. Baumrin says, “This year, we were at the Agricultural Fair, and we proudly won ‘best booth,’ which as a West Tisbury kid is the epiphany of summer winning. We were approached by quite a few people who wanted to join and be involved, and know how to support them.” She also bought three raffle tickets to the Chamber of Commerce giveaway, and won the $10,000 prize. Baumrin reflects, “As a group this year, we’ve won a lot, and it says a lot to me about where I put my energy. I don’t know if I’ll feel this way in five years, but I just want to create an entity that will continue long after I’m involved in it. It’s a passion for me to be a part of this, to nurture it, and give it a path and place. It’s bigger than me. That’s why I’m hoping to get funding from the Mass Cultural Council and Vineyard Haven cultural district, and any other ones that can support us, because we’re trying to really support our local community and local artists.”

Martha’s Vineyard Made has more than 40 members at this point, all of whose work you can see at the Vineyard Haven store, which will be open full-time through Christmas Eve. Future hours are not determined. “But,” Baumrin says, “if you see the lights on, you can pop in the shop. And we’re open 24/7 online!”

Martha’s Vineyard Made is at 29 Main St., Vineyard Haven. Visit marthasvineyardmade.com to shop online.