On Sunday, Odd Mart hosted its weekly Odd Market as a celebration of strange trinkets, treats and art from local Twin Cities creatives.
A friendly-looking monster points the way to Brad McGinty’s shop Odd Mart, inviting customers to stop in for the market. Odd Market hosts a handful of artists every Sunday in November, maintaining an inviting atmosphere in the fluorescent-lit backroom of Odd Mart in Minneapolis.
Jess Underhill has worked with McGinty for years, originally helping fulfill GLORP Gum shirt orders when he was only selling online. Now, she helps run the storefront so the market runs smoothly.
“It’s really fun to have people come in and just feel comfortable,” Underhill said. “But I really love it when people come in and they’re like, ‘Ah, this is exactly what I want.’”
Established last year, Odd Mart is owned and operated by artist McGinty after a long career in illustration and comic book art. The animator and clothing designer opened Odd Mart as a physical manifestation of his artistic interests and designs, including a mix of vintage goods, local art, and an extensive collection of literature and comic books.
Having a background in construction as well as art, McGinty fixed up the building himself, creating the physical store he always wanted. Monsters in his signature art style hang from the ceiling while an assortment of his GLORP Gum apparel hangs on the walls.
“This space, it had a sort of back area that I was going to do screen printing and shirt production,” McGinty said. “So I kind of thought that it would make sense to invite other people in for new art markets here.”
Some of the artists live down the street on Lyndale Avenue, while others drive in from across the city for the market. The table slots cost $20 to reserve and are available to artists of any medium. The artists are selected by McGinty to offer a unique experience for customers every weekend.
“Sometimes those big markets can be really overwhelming, and you’re overwhelmed with choice,” Underhill said. “The curation is always great because you can go in and there’s only nine tables, but you will find something you like, guaranteed.”
This past Sunday offered hand-painted pottery by Rhiannon Hadler, buttons and magnets by Trashy Trinkets and baked goods by Hex & Quill Bake Co. An assortment of art, candles and zines had their own booths.
Aurelius Searls, creator of Honey Weasel Candles, sells at the market as often as he can, living down the street from the shop. He started his company in 2020 after making candles as Christmas gifts for his loved ones and now sells his fandom-themed candles online and at markets.
“My first market was back in spring, the Trans Day Visibility Market,” Searls said. “It was my first market here and the first market that I got to run my booth personally.”
Searls said he returns to the market as often as he can, or “as often as Brad will let me.”
Across from his booth was Hadler’s hand-painted pottery and original art. She was introduced to the market by a coworker from her studio, and her unique art style is a perfect fit for the market’s niche.
“I usually sell this kind of stuff at normal markets, but I feel like this is where my stuff like this can shine,” Hadler said, gesturing to her collection of clay mushrooms before pointing to her hand-painted dishes and mugs covered with eyes and goat-horned women.
“It’s like beautiful, you know,” she said. “I feel like everyone’s art styles regardless of where they fall on, like, kind of kooky, crazy, scary, spooky. It all just kind of fits really well here.”
Alexis Politz was another artist featured on Sunday, and as a part-time employee of the shop, they were excited to have a booth again. Their booth was a collection of prints, pins and bumper stickers, which were becoming a favorite of customers.
“I just made them a couple months ago,” Politz said, pointing at the collection of stickers. “It’s nice to see people out in the wild with them already.”
Under the neon lights, each booth showcased a unique potential purchase for customers.
“You know, there are so many good creatives around and there’s a lot of people who never sold stuff before come here and sell stuff for the first time,” McGinty said. “That’s really fun, and it makes it more of a community.”
