About NYM
Not Yo Mama’s Fair Org. LLC is an event production team created by Megan Gülick.
Once upon a time, in a land called ”The Dirty Jerz”, three crafty ladies sat in a craft circle drinking raspberry moonshine, playing with googly eyes & hot glue guns while daydreaming of bringing attention to local talent; talent that couldn’t rely on (or solely benefit from) gallery representation. They agreed that Jersey City is rich with fabulous high-end artists, with art openings occuring weekly, but felt that there wasn’t an adequate venue for the abundant amount of local artisans to show off their high quality hand-made goods.
“We have a passion for our community and the arts!” they cried, and hatched a plan to host a craft fair supporting local artisans who thought outside the box, repurposed existing materials, and/or created useful, unique artful pieces. They stood up, marched out of the room (after unplugging their glue guns) and set about executing the very first Not Yo Mama’s Craft Fair March 28, 2009. With the help of Time Out New York, Matt Pinfield (101.9 RXP) and a handful of incredible volunteers their initial effort was received with great fanfare and excitement!
In 2010, the Not Yo Mama’s Ladies did a 2nd annual Craft Fair, and did it with MORE googly eyes, glitz and glitter! Taking over 7500 square feet at Parlay Studios, they packed the venue with 65 vendors, 5 local bands, and nearly 1000 attendees! This was the sign for these lovely ladies that “The Dirty Jerz” did, indeed, have a need and interest for indie events like these in their fair land. “But wait! These events should be about giving back to our community!” they exclaimed. And so they did. That year, with the help of their fellow citizens, they were able to make a donation to their charity partner, Arts to Grow.
This past year, the NYM Ladies decided to “take it to the streets”. June 25th, they threw their 3rd Annual on a 60,000 sq ft lot at 107 Morgan Street in Downtown Jersey City. Thats right, ’twas OUT of DOORS!! They featured over 100 artisan vendors, live music, beer tents, local food trucks, and plenty of entertainment and giveaways. With Peace by Piece Studio as their charity partner, there were opportunities to participate in on-site sewing projects to benefit those in need.
Good story, eh? Yes. We thought you’d enjoy it. It’s all true, too!
Not Yo Mama’s is constantly inspired and motivated by their community and the talented artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs that surround them. Now, they are in the midst of planning fairs for each season and are eager to continue growing. It’s been an amazing way to spend the days; meeting folks from near and far, partnering with charitable organizations to raise funds for their noble causes, shopping & celebrating the power of creative thinkers!
Not Yo’ Mama’s team looks forward to continuing to serve fellow crafters and relishes the opportunity to support the non-profits who make communities a better place.
