Lovers of music and art will now feel right at home in downtown Sylva.
The Jackson Arts Market, commonly known as JAM, brings in up to 50 local artist vendors and two local musicians every weekend.
Joshua Aaron Murch, the curator of JAM, feels that this festival brings life back to the area and provides a great opportunity for local artists and businesses to sell their work.
“This market is bringing more traffic to downtown, and it is something dependable that these businesses can rely on every week,” Murch said.
As the market gains popularity, Murch hopes to expand the available space for vendors.
“Our goal is to fill up all of the available booths and then eventually the rest of Main Street,” Murch said.
In addition to the market every Saturday, Murch explained the new gallery collaboration between artists and local businesses that will be available throughout the week.
“JAM Walk is an artist’s exhibition walk throughout businesses of downtown Sylva during their regular business hours. This encourages art collectors to come to Sylva and see all the exhibitions,” Murch said.
There are currently 22 participating gallery locations in downtown Sylva. A map of locations and times is available online.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a vendor can visit jacksonartsmarket.com. The membership fee is $20 per year with a weekly charge for the booth reservation. All vendors must provide their own equipment.
The Jackson Arts Market is held every Saturday, depending on weather, from 1-5 p.m. It is free to attend, and parking is available in designated areas.
For more information and weekly musician line-ups, visit jacksonartsmarket.com and @jacksonartsmarket on Instagram.
See the video below for an in-depth perspective on how COVID-19 affected local JAM artists.
