Renegade Craft Fair

Renegade Craft friends,

To hold ourselves accountable towards a more just, equal, diverse, and inclusive future for Renegade Craft, as well as add transparency to every corner of our small business, we are sharing with you all our action plan and progress. This post is continually updated, as indicated by the timestamp.

We are open-minded and all-ears, if you have any suggestions, questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact us here.

Thank you for being part of our community. ❤︎

December 2023

+ We produced 13 events in 6 cities, and awarded $30,475 in Diversity & Equity Growth Grant booth spaces to 59 participants with exceptional backgrounds, stories, and work!

December 2022

+ In 2022, at 13 events in 6 cities, $26,475 in Diversity & Equity Growth Grant booth spaces was awarded!

August 2022

+ The Diversity & Equity Growth Grant now includes all of our artist community, including new and returning artists! Find more info on our Diversity & Equity Growth Grant here.

+ So far in 2022, Growth Grant recipients have received $14,675 in booth space at our events.

November 2021 

+ Over the course of the year, we produced 12 events in 7 cities, and awarded $21,655 in Diversity & Equity Growth Grant booth spaces to first time Renegade Craft participants with exceptional backgrounds, stories, and work!

+ We’re excited to continue the Growth Grant program in 2022 to create access for emerging artists, makers, and small businesses that have lacked representation or space in our creative community by offering free booth space at our events.

August 2021

+ Research and develop Renegade Craft’s Equity & Inclusion Vision Statement to guide our JEDI efforts in a holistic, thoughtful, accountable, and actionable way.

+ Rebuild Renegade Craft to align with our Vision Statement.

June 2021

+ To honor the native land that our events take place on, to acknowledge that the land is the traditional homeland of tribal peoples, and to show respect for the true history of those spaces, we have added Land Honoring to our each of our event pages. We commit to honoring the land and its Indigenous stewards by tending to spaces with reverence and respect through sustainable and low-waste events.

+ We’re excited to announce our 2021 Tour with our new Renegade Craft Diversity & Equity Growth Grant program! The Growth Grant aims to create access for emerging artists, makers, and small businesses that have lacked representation or space in our creative community by offering free booth space at our events.

• Artists who have not participated in a Renegade event before are eligible to apply for the Grant.
• Growth Grant applications are considered based on the applicant’s story, journey, and creative process. We want to know how this Grant will transform your business!
• Number of Growth Grant booths varies per Fair.
• Applicants that are not awarded the Growth Grant are still eligible to apply for a regular booth.
• Applicants are only responsible for the non-refundable $50 application fee. Please reach out if this prohibits you from applying.

November 2020

+ We are so excited to debut the Renegade Shop with 31% of goods in the Rc Shop made by artists that identify as BIPOC+.

+ The Rc Shop launches with a BIPOC+ Made category, created to amplify and uplift BIPOC+ creative voices in our community.

+ The Collective, our online directory of Renegade artists, also launches with the shop, with 32% of artists identifying as BIPOC+.

September 2020

+ Equity and Inclusion step added to our application to gain a better understanding of our community. Responses are voluntary, protected, and do not affect applications in any way.

June 2020

+ Our June Virtual Fair raised $2,470 for Black Art Futures Fund! Thank you to our participating artists and visitors. For a recap of the Fair, head here.

June 2020

On Blackout Tuesday, June 2, we listened. Then we researched, and learned, and created an action plan for ways that we can increase diversity and inclusivity within Rc spaces.

+ During the past weeks, we have dedicated our social platforms to amplifying BIPOC Renegade artists, as well as used that time to research and discover new designers to feature, follow, and highlight. We will continue to support and advocate for BIPOC artists, and to use our platform to uplift their voices and artistry.

+ We will do more direct outreach to engage and attract BIPOC artists, makers, creators, and entrepreneurs to our events and platforms. This includes adding equal opportunity questions to our participation application so that we can concretely measure the success of our initiatives.

+ We will donate 100% of all participant and visitor proceeds from our upcoming Virtual Fair to Black Art Futures Fund. We hope this will provide critical funds to small, community-based Black arts organizations who may be severely impacted by the precautionary measures taken nationwide in effort to curtail the Coronavirus outbreak.

+ In observation of Black and Indigenous people and their histories, we have made Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day paid holidays for our staff to use as a time to reflect, educate themselves, and commemorate all that has come to pass in our country’s history.

+ We will update our vetting and hiring processes to attract more diverse candidates, and reinforce our commitment to a culture of inclusivity for everyone. We know that having more diverse points of view, experiences, and perspectives will make Rc a better organization from the inside out.

This is just the beginning of how we plan to instigate change and design for a better future for all. We welcome all of your ideas, creatives to support, opportunities for collaboration, and look forward to making these changes alongside all other individuals and businesses making a commitment to equality.

June 2020

ANNOUNCING OUR JUNE VIRTUAL FAIR:  in support & solidarity with Black communities in fighting against police violence and systemic racism in all its forms. To use our platform to further amplify the voices and reach of BIPOC artists, makers, and designers, our June Virtual Fair on Friday, June 26, 6–8pm EST will donate 100% of all proceeds to organizations uplifting BIPOC communities. (Tag your favorite orgs, funds, or charities in the comments as we finalize our recipients!) Applications are now OPEN to all, with participation on a pay-what-you-can / if-you-can basis. We hope this allows for an inclusive, diverse, and dynamic Fair for emerging and established creatives alike.

June 2020

We stand in solidarity with Black communities in fighting against police violence and systemic racism in all its forms. This is a time for growth and a time for action. We’re listening. We’re learning. We’re unlearning. We’re in this fight.