‘Eclectic’: Punk Flea Market brings alternative art to Richmond

Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves, Spectrum Editor

Alternative music sounded through the speakers in the ballroom along with people’s chatter on what art print to get, what size t-shirt would fit best and if they should get the tooth necklace or the tooth earrings. 

The Acca Shrine Center hosted the Southeast Punk Flea Market in Richmond last weekend with small businesses and artists selling their crafts.

“I like how eclectic it is. It’s like a traditional flea market but it’s a little bit more artist focused versus just selling things off,” VCU freshman anthropology student Addy Kay said. “But there’s still some of that here too that maintains the authenticity market feeling so it’s like a crossover between almost a convention and a flea market.”

Kay said she attended the same market in fall 2021 and marked it on her calendar as soon as she found out the market was coming back to Richmond.

Chris and Caitlin Hall have organized the Southeast Punk Flea Market for around 5 years since its first debut in 2010, according to Chris Hall.

The market will travel through various cities throughout the first half of the year until its last stop mid-June in South Carolina, where the Halls currently reside. It will come to Richmond again on May 14 and 15, according to the flea market’s website.

The second half of the year is dedicated to releasing more events and booking places where the couple sees people really want them there, and Richmond is “for sure” one of those places, according to Chris Hall. 

The Halls are the main organizers of the flea market, but have friends in each of the locations that help them set everything up, according to Chris Hall.

Chris Hall said he and his wife started the flea market for fun, as he runs his screenprinting business along with playing in a band and Caitlin Hall works as a stylist. Chris Hall said they chose the Southeast in order to bring “something cool” to the areas that had “nothing.” The inspiration came from the need in their own hometown in South Carolina, according to Chris Hall.

Artist Matt Schmidt offered live caricatures and prints as a line formed of friends and couples wanting to see their drawn personas.

Schmidt attended VCUarts for illustration 10 years ago and came back to Richmond from his home in Philadelphia. Schmidt said he participated in the Southeast Punk Flea Market for the first time this past weekend, but wants to be part of its closing event in Richmond later.

“I always thought Richmond had a great sense of arts,” Schmidt said. “Handmade art brings more culture to the area.”

Attending artist Beena Miller met Chris Hall in the music scene through her tour management of a band similar to Hall’s, according to Miller. The artist started jewelry making approximately eight years ago when Miller’s first work was a human tooth on a chain, according to Miller.

Miller said she hadn’t appreciated markets until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and “everything was taken away,” which caused people to lose the places where the community came together.

“A lot of other things became more important than art,” Miller said. “As long as there have been humans, it’s important to express our hearts and express ourselves.”