Chicago's upcycling artisans host alternative Black Friday shopping experience

In an alternative to the rampant consumerism of holiday shopping, more than 30 Chicago-area artisans will sell upcycled crafts at the inaugural Reverse Black Friday Market in North Center on Friday and Saturday.

The artisans include Maggie Joyce, who makes colorful jewelry from recycled eyeglasses; Kate Wolicki, who uses old textiles such as thrifted neckties to create bags and more; and Chris Wooten, who transforms furniture found in Chicago’s alleys into unique wooden bowls, utensils and even chessboards.

The upcycled crafts fair will also feature eco-friendly activities and coincides with Small Business Saturday. It'll be held at several shops, including Irish bistro Mrs. Murphy & Sons, 3905 N. Lincoln Ave.; fitness studio Free MVMT Shop, 3868 N. Lincoln Ave.; and Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream, 1943 W. Byron St.

Mrs. Murphy & Sons will have free Teeling Irish whiskey samples and cocktails for purchase, alongside live Irish music. Bartleby's will serve apple cider and hot chocolate affogatos, and host a pet gear swap and Shrinky-Dink making with Round Two Upcycled Craft Parties. Free MVMT will feature movement classes, a clothing swap organized by Queering the Binary Foundation and free recycled gift wrapping by Indigo & Violet Studio.

The Reverse Black Friday event is part of the ongoing Trashy Market craft fairs organized by Katy Osborn, founder and CEO of Nowhere Collective, a community of local makers that create upcycled goods. The group “is a circular economy marketplace for anyone and everyone to participate in the reclaim, reuse, repair and upcycling process,” according to its website.

Osborn said, “The general idea for Nowhere Collective emerged from my need to alleviate my anxiety about our country's waste and overconsumption problem.”

During the pandemic, she started to repair and embellish used clothing with embroidery.

“I love the challenge of reimagining and reconfiguring objects that others just toss aside,” Osborn said. “When I couldn't find a local market that specialized in upcycling to sell my wares, I decided to start one.”

Osborn, a Roscoe Village resident, sought out others who transform discarded objects at artisan markets as well as Instagram and Etsy, then came up with the concept of Trashy Markets to showcase their wares.

This year, she connected with Mrs Murphy & Sons owner James Murphy, which has hosted an annual Black Friday market for more than 10 years.

“They were looking for a new organizer, and I proposed that we turn it into a Reverse Black Friday event,” Osborn said. “It's been a great opportunity for us both to refresh our markets.”

Her husband, Jeff, is co-owner of Bartleby's, which also features upcycled furniture in its shop. Wooten and artisan Laura Miracle transformed old church pews into contemporary seating for the ice cream parlor.

New perspectives on ‘trash’

Nowhere Collective launched its first Trashy Market in December 2022.

It has since held five other upcycled craft markets in North Center, Back of the Yards, West Town and Wrigleyville. Some 3,600 shoppers visited its Trashy Earth Market in April outside Wrigley Field at Gallagher Way, Osborn said. Its July 2023 Trashy Summer Market at KOVAL Distillery in the North Center area drew roughly 450 shoppers.

“It's been really exciting to know that we're building something valuable for this left-behind segment of the handicrafts industry which, until now, has been an untapped resource in helping create a culture of circularity,” Osborn said.

Wood artisan Wooten started re-purposing furniture during the pandemic when he found a broken desk in an alley with “gorgeous” mahogany trim and oak drawers.

“It seemed like a tragedy to let it get hauled off to the landfill so I took it home, took it apart and made some stuff out of it. Ever since, prospecting the neighborhood alleys for trashed hardwood has become an all-consuming obsession,” Wooten said.

“Trees are a precious resource. I don’t pretend I’m making a huge impact on the volume of stuff going to the landfills, or the mowing of the world’s forest. But giving an old discarded piece of wood a new chance at being a useful, beautiful and hopefully treasured thing makes me feel pretty good.”

Osborn said vendors typically see strong sales at Trashy Market. “They attribute their success to the quick, deep connection with shoppers who appreciate their craft of re-purposing,” she said. And artisans enjoy the camaraderie with other creatives and community members.

“It’s the ethos that makes it different,” said mixed-media artist Jasmyne Robertson, who uses recycled paper, bubble wrap and other materials in her work. “There’s just something about gushing over 'treasures' with fellow makers at our events. I think I nearly passed out in joy at one of our maker’s swaps.”

There’s so much one can do with discards, added Robertson. “I’m using scraps that most would throw away, including old, used or damaged books, bits of foil paper, old photos,” she said. “I was an avid reader in my youth. While I used to get sad about damaged books, now I relish them as a material — and tear out crumbling pages with glee.”

Because Trashy Markets attract like-minded customers interested in sustainability, “makers spend less time explaining why they use trash and why it's important,” Osborn said. “It's rewarding to watch someone's eyes light up when they also start to see the potential in things that would have been tossed.”

“Shoppers walk away with a renewed perspective on the stuff they buy, use and dispose," she said. "The atmosphere is filled with joy and hope for the future, which is needed right now more than ever.”