Taking something ugly and making it beautiful is a standard practice in the art world, but what can you make with concrete and rebar? 

About half a dozen Pike Place Market crafters were tasked with that challenge using rubble from the Alaskan Way Viaduct. 

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It's that time of year again! Celebrate the amazing dads and grads in your life by gifting them something they'll treasure forever. Browse the Pike Place Market craft line for pieces that you won't find anywhere else - beautiful jewelry, handbound leather journals, reclaimed wood cutting boards and so much more. Keep scrolling for gift ideas!

Arrow Woodworks

Magnetic bottle openers made by Andy Bergin-Sperry that dad is going to love. You can find him out on the craftsline or online here.

Glen's Hand Craft in Seattle

Beautiful and durable leather bound journals for the new grad who's off on traveling adventures or loves to write. Available at Glen's Hand Craft in Seattle only at Pike Place Market.

Synergy Stone

Synergy Stones can be heated up or cooled down to give the perfect massage (which dads and grads would both appreciate). Get a free massage by visiting them in the North Arcade or online here.

Erickson Longboards

Bill Erickson creates longboards, cutting boards, knives and more out of sustainable or reclaimed wood. Find him in the North Arcade or online here. 

A ferry away from Seattle, Jim Chobot walks the beaches of Vashon Island, combing for driftwood and inspiration for his next creation.

Chobot is a longtime Pike Place Market artist, well-known for his one-of-a-kind wood pieces from rocking chairs to cutting boards to “fire starters.”

Every day he goes down to the beach, searching for things that have washed up on the island shores. According to Chobot, "When you go looking at the beach, it's a store that's open every day but with different things." He looks for quality driftwood with fun shapes, patterns and textures—all of which add to the character of each art piece.

With more than 40 years of experience at the Market, Chobot has built an impressive customer base, with some becoming collectors of his work) and continues to evolve in his artistic expression to this day. You can find Chobot's work at the Neptune Furniture table in Pike Place Crafts Market seven days a week, and even meet Jim himself most Sundays. Come say hello, pick up some great gifts for Father’s Day, and ask him about his “Pirate Camp,” too!

Local, Seasonal, Personal.

The rising sun breaks up a sleepy fog that blankets the land, causing roosters to crow, chickens to stir in their coops and goats to bleat as a new day begins on Stone City Farm. Kathleen Nece is the owner of Stone City Farm, a family business that produces all-natural goat milk soap on their picturesque property, just south of Olympia in Tenino, Washington.

After a close friend developed a sensitivity to certain skincare products, Kathleen read the ingredients of a soap her and her family had been using and was surprised at the number of chemicals. In her search to find something more natural and safer for her family, she decided to try her hand at soap-making. Kathleen’s homemade soaps became so popular among friends and family that she decided to turn her hobby into a business, and in 2013, Stone City Farm was born. All of their soaps are made from a mixture of milk from their goats raised on their farm, olive oil, coconut oil, castor, oil, Fair Trade palm oil, beeswax, and essential oils for scent or exfoliating ingredients.

Goat milking, oil mixing, pouring, curing, cutting and wrapping soap can be a long and tedious process, but the final product is worth the effort. “Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it absorbs 80% of what it comes into contact with,” says Kathleen. “So starting with the basics of what you’re washing yourself with is really important to me.”

In addition to making soap, Stone City Farm also offers handcrafted wood gift boxes, teak soap decks and spa cloths, all produced by Kathleen and her family. The quality of every product that comes from Stone City Farm is a testament to the passion and commitment the family has to making their small business work. Their motto, “Love my goats! Love my soaps!,” says it all.

You can find Stone City Farm’s craft table at Pike Place Market seven days a week from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., and online at stonecityfarm.com.

You’ve likely seen the bright, colorful and culturally diverse artwork of Ernesto Ybarra, one of the faces of our “Local, Seasonal, Personal” campaign. We’re diving a bit deeper to introduce you to Ernesto and what inspired him to become a painter.

In 2015, as a relatively new craftsperson, Ernesto Ybarra, started selling his paintings on-and-off at Pike Place Market. Last year, he decided to make the jump to sell in the crafts market consistently. As a young man, Ernesto tried to cultivate his artistic talent through photography but ultimately found his creative freedom limited behind the lens of his camera. In search of a medium in which he could fully express himself through, he decided to try his hand at painting and never looked back.

As a self-taught painter, Ernesto has developed his distinctively vibrant style over the past 18 years. Natural inspiration for his art include his Mexican-American culture—stating “there are no rules of color in Mexico, which can be seen in the overuse and clashing of colors in Mexican art”—but much more than a Mexican artist, Ernesto emphasizes other influences on his work, such as time spent living California and New Mexico, or things he’s learned about life and his role as a son, grandson, brother, father and colleague.

When asked what he wants people to know about the Pike Place Market, Ernesto had this to say:

“There’s more to the Market than what people first think of—there’s a whole world of hardworking people, expressing themselves through their work and literally putting themselves on display for people to look at. The artists here are incredible and inspiring. We support each other and encourage each other to grow. I encourage visitors to take time to appreciate the art and to learn about the artists.”

One of Ernesto’s favorite memories at the Market is when one day after he had set up his display of paintings, a couple walked up to his table. The wife looked over his pieces, pointed out one and said, “I like that!” When her husband asked why she liked it, she simply replied, “I just do,” and bought the painting without even asking the price.

You can find Ernesto and his paintings set up in the North Arcade or, when the weather starts to warm up, on the sidewalk just outside the North Arcade.

Meet Wais! Pike Place artist Wais Ali first became interested in visual arts while growing up in Djibouti, his home country in East Africa. Now a Seattleite, Wais has been selling original acrylic paintings and prints in the Market since 2015. Stop by his table in the North Arcade and meet the artist behind these stunning paintings!