Save the Date: We’re Playing the William Edmondson Arts & Culture Festival

Mark Your Calendars: Ramble & Riot Is Heading To The William Edmondson Arts & Culture Festival On Saturday, October 24th. This Free, Outdoor Art Fair Runs From 10am To 4pm At 1450 14th Avenue South In Nashville, And We Will Have A Full Booth Set Up With Our Complete Fall Lineup — Plus A Few Surprises We Are Saving Just For The Day.

If You Have Never Been, WE Fest Is A Genuinely Good Time — A Free, Family-Friendly Art And Craft Fair With Live Music And Other Performances, A Kids Zone, Live Artist Demos, And A Row Of Local Food Vendors Running The Length Of The Park. It Is The Kind Of Event Where You Come For One Booth And Leave Two Hours Later Having Talked To Half The Vendors On The Block. Parking And Admission Are Both Free, So There Is Really No Reason Not To Make A Whole Afternoon Of It.

This One Is Personal For Us. William Edmondson Was Nashville’s Own — The First African American Artist To Have A Solo Show At The Museum Of Modern Art, Back In 1937. Before That, He Worked Ordinary Jobs Around The City, Including Years As A Hospital Orderly, And Did Not Pick Up A Chisel Until He Was Well Into Adulthood. He Was Entirely Self-Taught. By His Own Account, The Idea To Start Carving Came To Him As A Kind Of Calling, And From Then On He Worked Almost Exclusively In Limestone, Shaping Tombstones, Angels, Preachers, And Animals Right In His Own Yard A Few Miles From Where We Cut Metal Today.

It Was Decades Before The Wider Art World Caught Up To What He Was Making In His Own Backyard, And He Never Stopped Working In That Same Direct, Self-Taught Way Once It Did. A Festival In His Name, Celebrating Local Art And Culture, Is Exactly The Kind Of Community We Want To Be Part Of — Handmade Work, Made By Hand, Honoring Someone Who Proved You Do Not Need Formal Training To Make Something That Belongs In A Museum.

We Are Bringing A Curated Selection Built Just For The Day, Including A Few Festival-Only Pieces You Will Not Find In The Shop Yet. Think Bold, Wearable Statement Work That Feels Right At Home Among The Painters, Potters, And Makers Who Will Be Set Up Alongside Us — Pieces With A Little More Presence Than What We Usually List Online, Built For A Day Where You Get To Actually Hold Them Before You Decide.

If You See Something You Love Before The 24th, Send Us A Message And We Will Hold It For You To Pick Up In Person At Our Booth — No Shipping Required. It Is A Nice Way To Skip The Wait On A Piece You Already Know You Want, And It Means One Less Box In The Mail Between Now And The Festival. Just Tell Us What Caught Your Eye And We Will Set It Aside With Your Name On It.

Can’t Make It Out That Weekend? We Get It — October Fills Up Fast. Everything In The Regular Collection Will Still Be Up On The Site While We Are At The Booth, Made To Order As Always, And We Are Always Happy To Talk Through A Custom Piece By Message If There Is Something Specific You Are Picturing. The Festival-Only Pieces Are The One Exception; Once They Are Gone That Weekend, They Are Gone For Good, So If One Catches Your Eye On Instagram That Day, Do Not Wait Too Long To Reach Out.

The Homesite Itself Is Worth The Trip On Its Own. William Edmondson Homesite Park And Gardens Sits On Ground That Was Once Part Of The Actual Property Where He Lived And Worked, Which Gives The Whole Festival A Different Feel Than A Standard Vendor Market In A Parking Lot. You Are Standing Somewhere An Artist Actually Carved Stone For Decades, Surrounded By Other Working Artists Doing The Same Kind Of Hands-On, Slightly Stubborn Work He Did. It Sets A Tone, And It Is Part Of Why We Wanted In This Year.

As For What Is Actually Going To Be On The Table, Expect Heavier Cuffs And Statement Rings In Sterling Silver, Paired With Stones We Do Not Always Have On Hand For Regular Shop Orders — The Kind Of Pieces That Photograph Beautifully Outdoors In Fall Light. If You Are Local And Have Been Wanting To Try Something On Before Committing, This Is Genuinely The Easiest Way To Do It. We Will Have A Mirror At The Booth And All The Time In The World To Talk Through Sizing, Stone Choices, Or Whatever Custom Idea You Have Been Sitting On.

Save The Date, Follow Us On Instagram @RambleandRiotjewelry For Booth Location And Sneak Peeks As The Day Gets Closer, And Come Say Hello — We Would Love To Meet You In Person.