Different skills can be passed down through generations. For Marie Naar, painting is that skill.
Naar runs her business, Marie’s Art, primarily from her home, selling “original, hand-crafted acrylic paintings” to Moscow residents.
The City of Moscow vendor handbook states, “To be considered ‘hand-crafted,’ the item must show evidence of manual skills obtainable only through a significant period of experience and dedication of one’s own design and making.”
For Naar and her family, experience and dedication are familiar terms.
“It’s always something I wanted to do,” Naar said. “I have a great-grandfather who was an artist, and a great aunt who was an artist. So, I think it runs in the family.”
Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Naar participates in the Moscow Farmers Market. She said the farmers market gives her an opportunity to further pursue her hobby and reach out to community members who otherwise might not see her work.
“It’s more of a hobby right now than anything else,” Naar said. “I’ve done 25 murals in California, and so right now it’s just a great hobby of mine. But so far it’s just being at the farmers market, and if I hand out my card, you can come see me at the house.”
The booth fits right in among the many other vendors at the farmers market. While there are a vast variety of available products, including produce, baked goods, crafts and meat, the market allows any kind of vendor to stand out with its “featured vendor” weekly program.
Marie’s Art was the market’s featured vendor during the weekend of June 2.
“I think it’s randomized, all of a sudden we were told we were vendors of the week,” Naar said.
The Moscow Farmers Market has been home to Marie’s Art for the past five years, though the business has been around for longer.
“Well I started with the Walla Walla Farmers Market when we lived there, until we moved up here,” Naar said. “So, I would say it’s been about ten years.”
Naar said she was incredibly happy when she found out the Moscow Farmers Market accepted arts and crafts.
“Before we moved to Washington, my husband and I used to live in California, and I was part of an art association,” she said. “And there aren’t any art associations around here. And since the market thankfully takes arts and crafts, that’s when I decided to see if I could join them.”
Becoming a market vendor involves a jury process, with juries hosted three times each season. A score of 60 percent or higher during evaluation allows one to be considered an approved vendor.
Naar said even though Marie’s Art has had different managers during the five years, the market has consistently been run well.
While many paintings have come and gone, Naar said one painting in particular really stood out to her.
“There was one, it was called ‘The Blue Chair,’” she said. “I did end up selling it, but that got a lot of people’s attention.”
Erick Naar, Marie’s husband, helps run the farmers market booth every weekend. Marie described him as her biggest fan and greatest helper.
“It’s a real kick, if you know what I mean,” he said. “Because she works so hard with that type of stuff, and it’s just tremendous, it really is.”
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]