Crafts Mart to Focus on 2 Holidays

Playing a double-header aimed at the Halloween and Christmas crowds, the Contemporary Crafts Market at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a two-weekend festival of the best of American crafts. This weekend, there’ll be a mask-making workshop in time for Halloween parties, and both weekends will feature more than enough one-of-a-kind delights to make a serious dent in anyone’s Christmas shopping list. The show features craftsmen from all over the United States, with more than half from California.

One incentive for attending is the opportunity to interact with the people who actually make the products for sale. In addition to passing the critical eye of marketplace organizer Roy Helms (who honed his visual skill at the American Crafts Council), craftsmen who are accepted for the event must promise to be on hand in their booths to meet visitors and talk about their work. This is a chance to meet James Caswell, the designer for Correla Art Glass, jewelry artist Glenn Dizon and 200 other craftsmen.

At this weekend’s marketplace, Annie Hallatt, whose company, Masque Arrayed, created the “Phantom of the Opera” masks, will hold a drop-in workshop during which children and adults can make their own masks using Hallatt’s papier mache bases and ribbons, feathers and such. Hallatt will supervise and suggest possibilities. Participants are charged according to how elaborate their creations are, with simple masks costing $2 and the most intricate going for $30.

Three other mask artists will exhibit. Michael Taylor’s booth has leather “creature” masks; Otis Higgins features traditional Indian masks of the Northwest Coastal tribes, and Laura McCready sells exotic feather designs.

More than 50 jewelry makers will show their work, including Gail Goldin, Marianne Hunter and Hallie and Stan Katz. Their pieces range from ceramic necklaces to gold earrings, from wild, avant-garde eye-catchers to finely detailed miniatures.

Participating glassmakers include Kerry Feldman, whose work includes goblets and glassware in tones of green and pink, and his wife, Denise Bloch, who will show her necklaces made from glass beads that she has blown. Other crafts include etched glass, handmade instruments, hand-woven textiles and decorative wood objects.

Many of the artists will exhibit only one weekend. Seeing them all will require a return visit. Next weekend’s line-up will include hand-crafted ornaments and wooden puppets.

In addition to the lobby and auditorium lined with crafts booths, there will be a tent set up near the entrance with dozens more craftsmen. Many artisans prefer this area because they get first crack at the customers.

Hours for the show are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. The market will also be open Friday night, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. T. Lou and his L.A. Zydeco Band will entertain Friday with Cajun/folk music on the grassy area outside the auditorium entrance.

The auditorium is at 4th Street and Pico Boulevard. Admission is $3.50 for adults (free for children). Parking is free. Information: (213) 829-2724.