YI Shop | Youth Interactive Holiday Market

Photo courtesy YI Shop.

Photo courtesy YI Shop.

Buy local and help support the nonprofit Youth Interactive this weekend at their Makers Market on Saturday, December 22. This unique nonprofit creates youth led businesses to mentor students’ creativity, help ignite their imaginations and provide them with new opportunities to develop the life skills needed to succeed beyond school. 

YI Shop (located at 1219 State St. across from the Granada Theatre) is filled to the brim with local artists and craftsman working alongside students to celebrate the holiday season and create beautiful items for lucky holiday shoppers.

For the perfect gift, unique, LOCAL, handmade and crafted with love, stop in the YI Shop for everything you will need to make the holiday season shine bright for everyone on your list.

Photo courtesy YI Shop.

Photo courtesy YI Shop.

YI Shop is  partnering with some of the Central Coast’s most creative artisans to support our youth.  Among the gift items, you’ll find:

Turquoise Succulents by Ashley Rifkin 

Barry Tryon Ceramics

Photo courtesy YI Shop.

Photo courtesy YI Shop.

Kathy Burba Ceramics

Jess Conti Leather Goods

Dancing Flame Glass by Lindsey Cossman

Pedaling Paper by Barbara Booth

Karen Hazarian Fine Jewelry

Table Salt Screen Prints by Earl Arnold

Avi Hyman’s Green Eyed Art

Wolf Hietzke – Ceramics

Felicia Artisan Jewelry

Unite to Light

Elephant Project

Founded in 2012, Youth Interactive Santa Barbara (YI) is a grassroots after school Entrepreneurial Arts Academy that bridges opportunity & social divisions by providing creative young adults from all walks of life with the keys to self-sufficiency.

Past participants say, the YI approach has changed the pathway of their lives from a place of darkness & failure to success! Click here for more information. 

Youth Interactive Holiday Market is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 22 at 1219 State St. in Downtown Santa Barbara. www.youthinteractive.us

Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on December 20, 2018.

Seaside Makers Funk Zone Opens

Seaside Makers Collective, photo by Kelsey Crews.

Seaside Makers Collective, photo by Kelsey Crews.

Don’t miss the grand opening of the new Seaside Makers Funk Zone location on Thursday, Nov. 29. This is a great opportunity to support 15 of the best local artisans in one amazing spot—209 Anacapa St. The newly transformed space (formerly Youth Interactive, which moved to a new State Street location) is a curated collection of local art and gifts for bath, body & home, put together by Kristin Fraser of The Grapeseed Co. and Jules Kramer of Jules by the Sea.

Other artisans at the collective include Asher Market, Sarka Photography, Jess Conti Leather Goods, Meadow Rose Photo Art, Blue Planet Eyewear, Whimsea, Mission Canyon Collective, and a beautiful collection of art by Karin Shelton, Pedro De La Cruz, Alana Clumeck, Katie Kramer, Anthony Barbaria and Kelly Clause. In addition, other artists, makers and pop-ups will rotate in and out, starting in December with some amazing one-of-a-kind handbags, jewelry and other special treats.

Seaside Makers Collective opens 11.29 in the Funk Zone, courtesy photo.

Seaside Makers Collective opens 11.29 in the Funk Zone, courtesy photo.

“This is a dream come true to land in the heart of the Funk Zone with this extremely talented group of makers and artists,” explains Jules Kramer, who will be managing the Santa Barbara store.

“The collective will highlight and celebrate the amazing artisans in our community by offering much more than a great place to shop… we will tell the stories behind the makers, and also look forward to hosting Scent Bar parties, pop-ups, live-painting and workshops in our event room space and parking lot,” says Kristin Fraser.  

Fraser opened Seaside Makers flagship store in Carpinteria (961 Linden Ave.) in September 2018. Response from the community was so positive that she partnered with Kramer to open a second location in Santa Barbara.

The shop will host a Grand Opening Celebration on Nov. 29 from 4-8 p.m. to give the community a chance to “meet the makers” in person. Seaside Makers Collective is located at 209 Anacapa St. in the Funk Zone, with parking available in its own lot.

Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on November 28, 2018.