In the heart of Dunham lies a special craft market that provides local artists their stepping stone.

Marché des Artisanats Dunham opened its doors in 2018 with owner Michilynn Dubeau wanting to provide women with a space to network their artwork and where they could connect with other artists. With over 30 artists and counting, all doing things a little bit differently, Marché des Artisanats Dunham has something for everyone who will walk through its doors this summer. 

Dubeau opened Marché des Artisanats Dunham when she decided to move back to Quebec after living in Calgary for a while. Her sister owned the space and operated it as an import store before she decided that she wanted to retire and Dubeau took over the property. 

“When I came home, people were telling me, ‘you’re crazy, you won’t be able to get a job your French is no good,’ and that turned out to be true. So, I was networking, I joined the Women’s Institute,” said Dubeau. "What I experienced with their fundraisers was women in their 80’s, carrying their boxes from their car to their table at flee markets, working all day in the sun (…). I thought this is crazy, these women should have an indoor market where they can leave their things.”

Marché des Artisanats Dunham was officially born and opened its doors in 2018. 

“Now I have between 30 and 40 artisans at all times, a very wide range of crafts, and not a lot of duplication. We do have a lot of artisans who are my exact target market. They work in their spare room, they have a small inventory, they are very meticulous about what they make, and they don’t have enough to go on the road and pay for a stall at a regular craft market,” explained Dubeau. 

Marché des Artisanats Dunham focuses on providing a platform for locally made crafts and artwork and “building a community of women” who can learn from one another. 

“I was looking at an opportunity for the artisans to do networking with each other, to learn tips from each other. We have two people that do workshops and some of the artists do the workshops that are not in their particular area just for fun. It’s been very successful in giving new artisans their head start so that they know the ropes. There’s a lot to learn about selling your product once you have it made,” said Dubeau. 

Dubeau emphasized that she has seen the difference that having a market space has made in helping artists gain confidence in their domain. 

“I’m open all year round. So, even in the dead of winter, when everything is closed, we are always here. Because people can leave their things indoors, (…) it gives them the opportunity to work on more crafts. While they’re here, they’re saving time and money so it’s a win-win,” she noted.

Marché des Artisanats Dunham has items extending from handmade jewelry, handmade soaps, greeting cards, notebooks, zero-waste art, sheep skin slippers, painted wine glasses, handmade insects, macrame, decorate wood, and much more. 

“We have two new artisans just in the month of May. One makes beach bags out of vinyl products, really colourful, and really well made. I’d like to say that everything here is very well made. Her husband makes ceramic top tables, mosaics out of ceramics. Our other new artisan is from Dunham and she’s left about 19 very unusual dolls,” mentioned Dubeau. 

Marché des Artisanats Dunham usually does a full program of artistic workshops throughout the year that are open to the public, but they currently on hold due to the concerns surround the pandemic. However, the public can still discover the craft market at some other events In Dunham this summer like the Clé des Champs Festival, which marks the beginning of the tourist season, and Portes Ouvertes, wine tastings across the Dunham vineyards. 

“We have four markets a year, special markets, we have people that come from outside that don’t have a table here,” said Dubeau. 

Dubeau advertises and updates the public on any activities, workshops, and markets concerning Marché des Artisanats Dunham on its Facebook page. 

Listen to the full interview below: