Kali Griffith first started making chainmail jewelry when she was just eight years old.
Her pieces involve linking tiny metal rings into various shapes to craft bracelets, keychains, and earrings. "I loved making chainmail, but I didn't know where to display it," says Griffith, now 11 and heading into Grade 7.
That's where Bratz Biz came in.
The annual market, held every year ahead of the holidays, features an array of artisan gifts and food crafted by young entrepreneurs from the Sea to Sky corridor. Griffith first took part in the 2016 edition and it was "one of the most fun things I've ever done," she says.
"There's a lot of work put into it and a lot of thought and it does take many hours. It's amazing once you have a table there and you're talking to everyone and selling your stuff," she says.
But Griffith, along with several other Bratz Biz alumni, has recently expanded her burgeoning businesses to sell handmade products alongside her adult counterparts at various venues in the community.
"They're treated as adults," says Craig Lovell, who helps run Bratz Biz. "It's rewarding for sure. It's interesting because the kids are getting involved and some are truly artists. They have their craft ... and some of them are doing it for the business opportunity too. It's rewarding to see them realize they can actually engage their creative side and make an income from it."
Griffith recently started selling her jewelry at The Gift Shop in the Maury Young Arts Centre, which is run by Arts Whistler, thanks to Lovell's encouragement.
"I thought that would be really cool," she says. "I applied and I got in. I was the first child that did Bratz Biz that got in. I thought it was pretty fun and I was really excited to display my stuff in other places."
This summer, she's also had a booth at the Pemberton Farmers' Market (where you can find her every Friday), as well as the Salmon Arm Beach Resort.
Likewise, Bratz Biz artisans Kierstin Higgins—who runs Alpine Prints, featuring art printed on wood—and Nicole Boleman, who's at the helm of Nicole's Aromatics—secured booths at a farmers' market this year.
(Find them at the Whistler Farmers' Market on Sundays.)
Jordan Lovell, meanwhile, is selling his wine racks made out of old skis—under the company name Live 2 Ski—at the Whistler Hardware Store.
"It's my second year at the [Whistler] Farmers' Market," says Higgins, who's 15 and heading into Grade 10 this fall. "It went super well—better than I was expecting. I was like, 'Oh this is a really good idea.'"
Her experience with Bratz Biz prepared her for the less-artsy, more business-y side of running an arts business. "[I learned] a lot about how to use spreadsheets and website building, paying bills, all that kind of stuff," she says.
Bratz Biz has already held its jury to select vendors for the 2019 market in November. This year they have about 10 new young entrepreneurs.
One spot that's still available, though, is at the Arts Whistler Holiday Market, which is run separately, but in the same space as Bratz Biz. "Last year, we worked in conjunction with Arts Whistler to set up a scholarship," Lovell says. "Bratz Biz and Arts Whistler sponsored a booth in the (Holiday) Market for any alumni of Bratz Biz. We're open for applications now."
Anyone interested in the scholarship can email Lovell at [email protected]. For more information on Bratz Biz, visit bratzbiz.ca.
