Last weekend, I decided to head into Boston to explore the SOWA market that has achieved some notoriety as a destination for design and art on and around Harrison Ave in the gentrified SOuth of WAshington district from which the catchy name is derived.
I had been to a Design Edge trade event at the SOWA power station-turned-event-venue a few years ago, and several of the Boston Design Center trade showrooms had relocated to the area in recent years so I have been meaning to check out the Sunday market for a while.
On Sunday, the stars aligned - I had a rare Sunday free from other commitments and the weather was gorgeous - sunny and pleasant but not too hot. I donned my flats that walked 60+ miles around Germany recently, and packed my foldable nylon shopping tote into my bag - just in case, and ventured forth!
SOWA Sunday Open Market
May through October on Sundays from 11am - 4pm, an outdoor market takes over a parking lot and features rows of tents of artisan vendors selling mostly hand crafted specialty wares, and a few specialty food, and farmers market vendors, additionally there is a rotating roster of a handful of food trucks that line the back of the lot.
Last weekend I indulged in a tasty honey truffle goat cheese sandwich on ciabatta from The Dining Car food truck.
It was a gorgeous sunny day and the food I ate was terrific, but honestly, I was a little disappointed in the market. It was smaller than I expected and lacking in the charm I had hoped for. There were very few tents with eye catching displays, though I did see one vendor with beautiful painted scarves.
But all was not lost as I ventured on to the Vintage Market next door.
Sunday Vintage and Antiques Market
The Vintage market is open Sunday hours year round and is a collaborative of a score of different vendors. It occupies a segment of the basement of a warehouse building and about half of the vendors deal in home furnishings and decor and the other half deal in clothing or jewelry.
There was a surprising amount of vintage art relative to the size of the market.
Again, it was much much smaller than I had hoped and there were only a handful of things that caught my eye. This pales in comparison to Brimfield, or even some of the antiques cooperatives in the far flung suburbs.
Some items were way over priced and some were reasonable and some had no price at all, just instructions to go see someone at another booth because that vendor wasn’t in residence that day.
I saw these bamboo folding chairs which were marked at $200something for the pair and were identical to ones all over the internet that sell for less than half that….maybe they were genuinely special or antique or some famous butt had sat in them once, I don’t know?! But doubtful.
There was some interesting barware - nothing I needed to drag home, but very different at least. Quirky green glass mugs with faces, and tall glasses frosted in a sludge green were some of the more memorable items.
And some curiosities like this huge hanging metal fish sculpture that says it is from Maine and this assortment of dolphin statues.
I did love these antique gilded carved chairs priced at what I thought was a reasonable $275 for the pair
…and this mirror with no price tag and no owner in sight to ask. It also weighed so much I was doubtful about getting it back to my car a block away anyway. I should have tried harder to find out because I’m still thinking about it. #theonethatgotaway!
The clothing on hand was meh the day I was there, but I imagine everything turns over here a lot and more frequent visits might turn up more treasures.
Artist Studios and Shops
Along the streets and alleyways are an assortment of shops selling both clothing and decor. Many were not open on Sunday, but a handful on the ground level of the Artist Studio building were.
I think the most compelling reason to visit SOWA, though, is the Artist Studios and Galleries. The same building that houses the Vintage Market also has 4 floors above it lined with dozens of Artist Studios, about half of which were open for the Sunday market, and in many cases with the artists on site.
There are other galleries and at least one more building of art studios on surrounding streets that I did not go to on this visit.
Every genre of art and sculpture was represented in the studios and it would be a terrific place to explore if you are looking for an original piece of art that speaks to you.
I didn’t take pictures of the artist studios as that seems to be frowned upon, but I did spot these fascinating copper chairs through the window of a studio that wasn’t open and snapped a photo to remember them.
I don’t know if they were created by the artist or if they just happened to be using them for the table in the studio, but they caught my attention and I’m curious to know if they are comfortable!
Parking
I arrived about an hour into the market so I didn’t find any available (free on Sundays!) street parking, but the paid parking lot at the Power Station had plenty of spots and is a flat rate of $10 for market parking, which is a bargain in the city of Boston.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from SOWA market, but it wasn’t at all what I anticipated. I think the atmosphere changes from week to week when entertainment and food offerings vary and maybe I was just there on a more subdued week.
But there are other art and design events in the area seasonally that warrant investigation. And I should give the Sunday market another try someday.
I recommend more thoroughly checking out the maps and info on the website before you go. The events, food trucks, and vendors are all listed by date on the SOWA market website here along with general information.
