With a showcase of ravens, skulls and monsters, Coralette Damme’s Hauntizaar is a Halloween enthusiast’s heaven.
For the first time, Damme hosted Hauntizaar at Studio@620 on Saturday, Oct. 15. Studio@620 is a gallery that focuses on showcasing local art. The studio holds events throughout the year, including: plays, exhibitions and craft fairs.
Damme organized another event called Holizaar, a winter holiday art event with handmade items, for the past nine years. This year, she decided to host an event for Halloween, her favorite holiday. Damme also mixed in a bit of Day of the Dead flair.
“I thought, ‘Why don’t I just make my own party?’” Damme said.
More than 200 people attended Damme’s first Hauntizaar, making it a success in her book.
Damme allowed other local artists to apply for a booth at the Hauntizaar through a website and she hand-picked the artists she wanted to participate.
Throughout the year, Damme’s art aesthetic is inspired by Halloween. Her moniker, The Crafty Hag, helps reflect her inspiration. She has been a printmaker for eight years, and she specializes in block and silkscreen prints.
Around 20 vendors with an interest in Halloween crafts attended the event, but that isn’t their only motivation. The promise of exposure for their personal art styles helped.Robin Bloom says that she went so that she could “sell [art] to justify continuing to create.” Bloom is a Sarasota-based artist and it was her second time participating as a vendor in St. Petersburg. Her signature crafts are collages of spooky cartoons.
Best friend duo Sami Denny and Andrea Capitano run Sugar Lagoon together. Denny started Sugar Lagoon five years ago, creating crafts based on anime characters.
When Capitano joined her friend of 25 years, she brought a different flavor to Sugar Lagoon. Capitano has always been into the darker side of things. Capitano and Denny thought that her creepy approach could reach a broader audience.
Sugar Lagoon Nightfall is the dark-inspired branch of Sugar Lagoon. There are items like shadow boxes, shrines, soaps and jewelry. All of the pieces are one of a kind.
But not all the artists were there with a Halloween-themed product. Dawn Prior is a local natural soap maker who came to enjoy the event.
“It’s fun to bring the soaps to a show and see people interact with them,” said Prior.
She started making soaps about seven years ago because natural products were difficult to find. Her interest in soap making came from her grandmother who made soaps too.
Damme said that after seeing the turnout, she’s excited for next year’s event.
“Since this event has been so successful, it seems like there is enough interest to do it again,” Damme said.
© Photos by Nicole Carroll | TCN and Ryan Callihan | TCN
