The Shopportunist: Southside Vintage Marketplace

Some days I look at the pencil holder on my desk and think “herniated disc,” but usually the piece of white, glossy pottery reminds me of large river rock, smoothed and shaped by nature, with a hole in the top just big enough for one pen. It’s puffed out, like someone blew though the hole to air it up. I love this little piece of sculpture, and I love picking it up and feelings its contours for the same reason that I like sinking my fingers into a bin of cool stones whenever the Fairgrounds hosts those bead shows, like Amelie would do. This morning I remembered that I bought the pencil holder for $5 or $10 from VSA Indiana. The local chapter of “Very Special Arts” has offered classes to people with disabilities for more than 30 years.
I have a few other bargain beauties from VSAI, which sells works in a gallery at the Harrison Center, and for a minute this morning I thought I should write a blog plugging student artwork. Then I got swept up in the workday without even jotting down the idea on my Teux Deux list homepage. (Get it? To-do, only Frenchy?) But Piper Voge from the Southport Antique Mall rang me up and—what do you know?—this weekend’s Southside Vintage Marketplace will feature a student art group called Art with a Heart. Serendipity!
Here are the details: Art with a Heart is a local nonprofit that fills in the gaps in public-school art education. Lots of students who either don’t have art class or who have advanced past their school’s limits get to study with Art with a Heart. Their will be sold at the Vintage Marketplace, and there will be a raffle of gift cards and cool vendor merch to raise money for this good cause. The event is also shaping up to be one of the biggest ones yet with nearly 30 vendors. Here’s hoping you find a pieces as perfect as my river-rock pencil holder. August 9, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. 2028 E. Southport Rd., 317-418-8869, Facebook page