Become a vendor

Become a Vendor in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Imagine art, jewelry, homeware, clothing, and more being sold in one inclusive community space for women- and minority-owned makers. This is exactly the purpose of Arts Marketplace— a non-profit organization that supports woman and minority businesses to help them gain visibility and success in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Learn more about our vendor process and the benefits we can offer you and your business.

The Process

Arts Marketplace was founded in December 2020 with the mission of enhancing the retail presence in downtown Grand Rapids, while also supporting minority-owned and women-owned local businesses. Arts Marketplace consists of two sections where you can sell products, including:

Pack Elephant

Pack Elephant is the anchor tenant in Arts Marketplace and occupies 3,000 of the 5,000 square feet of the space. They are a gifting box company that sells local gifts like candles, edibles, jewelry, and more in one location. Founder and CEO Winsome Kirton has partnered with Marketplace to sell handmade local goods from over 60 local makers.

Arts Marketplace Shops

Our pop-up room offers an opportunity for local makers to showcase and sell larger items like art, clothing, furniture, and more. Whichever method you choose to sell your products, you can be sure to feel supported and included throughout the entire process, which is summarized below:

New tenants may be provided with initial capital expenses to optimize merchandising and sales opportunities (shelving, lighting, etc.).
Long-term tenants may receive rent subsidization for the first few months to remove start-up barriers and allow for long-term success and profitability.
We work alongside vendors to develop their brand and attract customers via programming and more.
We promote diversity in our city by integrating local businesses into the downtown environment.

Our inclusive community is always growing and being nurtured for women and minority-owned makers, but some vendor opportunities vary depending on the time of year. If you’re interested in selling your goods or products in a thriving downtown environment, contact us today at theartsmarketplace@gmail.com to learn more about becoming a vendor and which vendor location you and your products will best fit in.

Additional Vendor Benefits

Arts Marketplace is passionate about supporting minority- and women-owned businesses and spreading diversity and inclusion in the Grand Rapids, MI area. We are currently funded by a grant and donations that allow us to provide many benefits for our vendors. The additional benefits of becoming a vendor include:

Aesthetically pleasing space that is maintenance-free
Increased visibility and presence in the heart of downtown to bring traffic and customers into the space
Great for makers who are just starting their business or rebuilding from COVID-19
The Arts Marketplace will fully staff the store, so vendors don’t have to be present to sell their goods like traditional pop up shops.
Events and programming to attract the public
And more…

We hope that our inclusive environment allows our makers to thrive and the citizens of Grand Rapids to become better acquainted with the diverse individuals who make our city a more vibrant, interesting, and creative place.

Become an Arts Marketplace Vendor Today

Increase visibility and growth of your locally owned business while gaining customers and sales by becoming a vendor at Arts Marketplace. We provide an inclusive community space in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids for women and minority-owned makers to flourish and thrive. Contact us today to get started with the process to become a vendor at Arts Marketplace.