Founded in 2004, Handmade Arcade provides craft-based artists, designers, and makers with opportunities to sell products, build community, network, and share their artistic practice. A pioneer in Pittsburgh's maker movement, Handmade Arcade bridges the gap between consumers and creators while increasing awareness about handmade, locally produced craft goods and processes.
Handmade Arcade has helped catalyze the flourishing maker movement in Pittsburgh and transform the region's landscape of small arts and crafts businesses. More than just an award-winning annual event, Handmade Arcade works year-round on a variety of programming that includes:
- Hosting Handmade Arcade, our annual winter convention where over 10,000 attendees converge to shop from a curated group of 200+ makers
- Hosting Show and Sell, our yearly spring event that supports emerging makers with workshops to learn how to sell their wares at a high-profile event
- Building an interactive, reusable virtual marketplace
- Supporting makers of all kinds with our Maker Curriculum, created in partnership with the Creative Business Accelerator
- Working with youth makers, student entrepreneurs, and education groups to encourage the next generation
- Promoting and sharing events and programming produced by a network of community collaborators