After a two-year hiatus, Perkins Center for the Arts will host Handcrafted 2022 in late September, an event that will bring together artists, musicians and the community.
“Handcrafted is our major fundraising event and it’s been going on for over a decade now, and our goal with Handcrafted is to really create a very unique evening that’s not like your typical gala,” said Isabella Lee, development manager for Perkins.
“We really try to showcase the amazing artists that we have in our region … ” she added. “We work with a lot of breweries and local wineries to bring amazing, sensory experiences for our event-goers.”
There will also be an art lottery, a new addition to Handcrafted.
“We’ll have 100 pieces of art that are donated by award-winning artists from our region, and there are 100 tickets that are available for purchase, the art lottery tickets,” Lee explained. “That gives you entry to the event, to Handcrafted, and it also gives you the guarantee of taking home a piece of art from this 100-piece exhibition.”
Aside from the art lottery, Lee described what else people can expect at the event.
“It’s a lot of live music,” she said. “We’re having maybe four or five different musicians playing throughout the evening … There will also be a number of artists’ demos, which have proved very popular in the past, and lots of amazing local food and beverage.”
The location for Handcrafted 2022 is a surprise.
“ … Something that we did bring from (our) last Handcrafted, which was in 2019, to this Handcrafted is, we’re doing a secret location, and all I can say is that the secret location where this will be taking place is in Camden County,” Lee noted.
“It is an amazing space that has not really been open to the public yet, so it is a totally different experience that I’m sure a lot of folks will have had going to these types of fundraising events in the past.”
Guests will be given a parking location ahead of the event and free shuttle rides will be available.
Lee noted how Handcrafted 2019 took place at a compound in Moorestown, the first time the event was held outside of Perkins.
“ … It was getting, too … one not knowing where you’re going exactly, but then too, once you’re actually there, getting to explore this really amazing private residence,” she recalled.
“We had artists’ demos, we had circus performances, we had tons of food and beverage, lots of live music … It was just a very joyous and celebratory event,” Lee added. “It’s not like a gala, where you have a table and there’s a lot of sitting down and waiting around.”
“There’s always something to be doing and always something new to be seeing.”
Lee explained how Handcrafted is important for everyone.
“ … Something that we really try to focus on and put a lot of energy into is free and reduced-fee art programs that are available to everybody in the community,” she said. “We really believe that the arts should be available to everybody, and part of that means that we can’t always charge for arts experiences.”
“An event like Handcrafted really supports our efforts to make the arts available to everybody and accessible to everybody, and it supports all of the work that we do within our communities.”
Handcrafted 2022 will be held on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. Visit perkins-handcrafted.com for updates.
