ABOUT US

The Ōtāne Village Artisan Market - just off the beaten track, was set up as an Unregistered Community Group on 17th January, 2025, by the two founding members Bronwin Boswell and Heather Wedd. The organisation has a set of rules, an IRD number and an accountant to ensure accountability and transparency.

Apart from the legal side, the market was developed to provide artisans with a place to showcase their unique art and craft, to sell their goods alongside others of a similar standard, and to encourage shared learning.  The aim is to grow the market so that marketeers can earn a living from their chosen handmade product, and to generate sufficient surplus funds to disperse as course fees etc to successful emerging artisans. This programme is being developed over the first six months of 2026 and subject to available funds, will be open for applications early January, 2027.

The market is now run by a dedicated admin team of four local marketeers who volunteer their time and expertise because they genuinely care about quality craftsmanship and growing emerging local artisans. As makers and business owners, they understand how important it is to have a platform that values skill, originality, and hard work.

Each market space is carefully selected to ensure variety, quality, and a memorable experience for both marketeers and visitors. For the administrators, it is not about filling every available space; it is about protecting the integrity of the market, the makers within it, and securing a sustainable future.

The team is quietly impressed with the atmosphere around the day; genuine conversations between makers and customers, and groups of friends and families meeting together over food, coffee and music. Above all, they are committed to building a market that reflects the character, creativity, and care of the community behind it.