Every year on the first Sunday of December the Shorewood school district hosts an arts & crafts fair, making this the 43rd year. Many people come to the high school to show and sell artwork or products of their own, donating the benefits to the Shorewood athletic programs.

Tim Kenney, SHS principal, leads a double life on weekends. Deeply passionate about cooking, he dedicates five to eight hours at a time to creating dozens of jars of salsa. 

This passion-turned-business began with a simple observation and a desire to honor his late parents.

“It all started with the advertisements for the arts and crafts fair, and I thought, maybe I should just try it,” Kenney said. “On September 2, 2023, I opened Kenney’s Garden Market LLC, named in honor of my parents. They both passed in 2018. I thought it’d be a nice way to honor them [and] reopen their Kenney’s Market business again.”

The original Kenney’s Market traces back to his father’s decision to transition from his position as a math teacher at Homestead High School to venturing into the greenhouse business alongside Kenney’s mother. 

Stepping into the fair, Kenney found himself pleasantly caught off guard by the warm reception.

“Everyone was surprised to see me, and [there were] a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a long time, like parents of former students of mine,” Kenney said. “Just having that really positive experience was fun.”

Beyond his own success, Kenney highlighted the dedication of the vendors around him.

“For a lot of people, it’s a livelihood thing,” Kenney said. “The displays that they had were just so impressive. This is what they do. This is how they make their money: going to lots of different events and craft fairs.… I think that’s really cool.”

The success of his first market has created exciting possibilities for Kenney. As the summer months approach, he anticipates a lighter workload, allowing him more time to devote to his business. While the prospect of transitioning to the Shorewood Farmers’ Market is on the horizon, Kenney remains cautious about expanding too quickly.

“The first thing I have to do is to cook more because I almost sold out, which was phenomenal,” Kenney said. “I have things to think about.”

Elaine Frieseke’s business seeks to breathe new life into recycled cargo pants, by transforming them into stylish bags. Additionally, she offers a collection of artsy tees adorned with retro imagery.

Hailing from a design background, Frieseke’s business began 10 years ago from the need for a spacious bag for a trip to New York. The subsequent creation of a jean-material bag not only served its practical purpose, but sparked a realization of potential. 

“It was kind of haphazard,” Frieseke said. “But I was looking at the size of the cargo pockets on the pants, and they were a perfect fit for the bag, so I just started rolling.”

Turning to online selling and venturing onto sites like Etsy seemed like a natural next step. Frieseke continued in this capacity for a bit, but she eventually stepped back due to concerns with the platform’s division of pay. This began a more personal exploration of the things she loved to create and the challenges that come with transforming passion into a thriving business. 

Participating in craft fairs holds a special place in Frieseke’s heart. These events not only provide a platform for her to showcase her creations, but they also help elevate small businesses. According to Frieseke, fairs also serve as a communal space where artists and crafters can meet, exchange ideas, and build connections. 

She also highlights that most participants are local artisans who rely on these events to showcase their work as opening individual stores might not always be feasible. 

“Fairs like this are important for small businesses, not just locally, but from other parts of Wisconsin and all across the world,” Frieseke said. “A lot of people and a lot of crafters go to different parts of Wisconsin, and consumers can keep coming back to the ones that stick out.”

For 15 years, Monica Morrissey has collaborated with the organization Global Mamas to showcase and sell items handmade by women in Ghana. The organization began with a Peace Corps initiative that sprouted in the 1990s, headed by a close friend of Morrissey’s. The organization continues to this day.

All of the products are handmade by women in Ghana, who transform plain cloth into a variety of items. Products range from baby bibs, pants, and wallets.

“We leave all the creative process up to them,” Morrissey said. “They start with blank cloth, then they dye the cloth, and then they shape it into beautiful items.”

The Shorewood Arts and Crafts Fair is a place for Morrissey to not only showcase these products but also to reconnect with the local community. Having lived in Shorewood, and her children having attended school in the District, the fair is also a reunion with familiar teachers and community members.

Despite lacking a traditional storefront, Morrissey sees the fair as a platform to not only display and sell Global Mamas products but also to raise awareness about their mission. 

“We don’t have a brick-and-mortar store,” Morrissey said. “This is a way for us to sell products and get our name out there.”