BERLIN – A local merchant is continuing his effort to make Berlin the antique capital of the Eastern Shore with the creation of a new Antique Art Mart.
Bill Outten of Uptown Antiques is starting the Antique Art Mart in the parking lot in front of his store Sunday, April 19.
“It’s like a flea market but for arts and crafts,” Outten said. “I thought this would generate interest on a slower day of the week.”
The art mart will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the third Sunday of every month from now until October at 13 S. Main St. Though space is limited, vendors can get involved for $30 a Sunday or $150 for the whole season.
Outten says that while he does want vendors selling handmade items, he’s willing to rent space to pretty much any type of artisan. He expects to have around 20 vendors, including jewelry makers, painters and the like. He believes the market will be a great place for crafters and do-it-yourself enthusiasts to share their wares.
“I think it’s going to turn out to be a good event,” Outten said.
To kick off the Antique Art Mart season, Outten will host antique appraiser Charlene Upham on April 19. For $5 an item, attendees can get their antiques and heirlooms appraised in Antiques Road Show fashion. All of the proceeds from the will be donated to Berlin’s Main Street program.
Outten said he expected a lot of interest from area residents as appraisals offered by Upham during Berlin’s Village Fair years ago proved popular.
“They used to line up around the block for that,” he said.
Outten, who is still signing up vendors for the art mart, is hoping the new event will boost interest in Berlin as an antique town. He says his effort to brand it as the antique capital of the Eastern Shore is slowly catching on.
“It’s starting to resonate,” he said.
Outten says Berlin has a wider variety of antique stores than any other town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He pointed to the array of different shops, ranging from an antique lamp store to an antique toy store. He said even the restaurants fit with the antique theme, as the Atlantic Hotel’s restaurant was set in a historic hotel while Rayne’s Reef had been a downtown classic for years.
“The whole package is set up to promote that type of theme,” Outten said.
For more information on the new art mart contact Outten at 410-629-9656.