27 Dec Greenway 2020 – Year in Review
2020 had been a rollercoaster of a year, bringing several unexpected changes to our daily lives and our experiences at Melrose Trading Post. We have adapted the market experience as quickly and seamlessly as possible in light of COVID-19, after being closed from March to July.
Here’s a look at some of MTP’s highlights of 2020!
January – February
MTP had one of its biggest days in February, reaching over 8,000 patrons in the market!
When Melrose Trading Post was open at full capacity from January to February, we were able to bring several local music artists to perform on one of our two stages: The Greenway Arts Main Stage and the Greenway Court Corner Stage. Some musicians were a part of our morning programming for children & families, Melrose Mornings.
Shoutout to all of the wonderful musical artists who performed at MTP, even if it was only for a short time!
Kristin Soni, Jessica Jones, The Carl Tassi Quartet, Erina, Sydney Ranee, Ethan Sherman, Music with Max, Katie Ferrara, The Paul DiBlasi Trio, The Bergamot, The Good Boys, Dorff Hinman Piltch, Kira Rappaport, Jordan Kamnizter, Pricey Diggs , Slim Pickins, Lucy LaForge, Jazz Hands for Autism, Kelvin McKay-Hill, Jazzaholics, Kristen Cook, Lucy & La Mer, Trevor Douglas, Eclectic, Zephyr Avalon Group, Wacky Wendee, Mitch Grainger, Colibri Quartet & Brock Pollack
March – July
MTP closed from March to July 2020 in light of COVID-19 and the mandatory stay-at-home order. However, we still had several launches during these months.
In May, we launched our IG Live series, MTP Live (MelroseTradingPost.org/mtp-live).
MTP Live was an IG TV live stream we hosted with vendor interviews, studio tours, art and craft demos, and musical performances from a great lineup of artists, designers, collectors, and small businesses.
MTP Live featured some of our permanent vendors such as Flora Y Luna, Obsidian Essentials, Desert Moon, and many more.
We also launched an online directory sorted by category to make it easier to find vendors in the market and all of their wonderful collections of merchandise. You can still find this directory at https://melrosetradingpost.org/directory/.
In June, we launched our Black-Owned Businesses List to further support the Black vendors that we have the pleasure of working with here at Greenway Arts Alliance. The full list of our Black artisans and collectors can be found at bit.ly/mtpbob/.
August – December
The community market reopened on August 2, 2020 with a brand new socially distanced layout that expands across more of the Fairfax High School campus (you can find the most up-to-date map here).
We worked with a variety of non-profit organizations and community initiatives, such as the 2020 Census initiative, Die Hard Art Collective’s Art Walk outdoor gallery, and voter registration and polling booths hosted by Black Out the Ballot.
At Greenway Arts Alliance we strive to support fellow nonprofit organizations of all kinds by giving them a platform at our community open market. Despite the obstacles of 2020, Melrose Trading Post will continue to serve as a place for community support and activism. Our open market has changed a lot over the past 12 months, but we are excited to ring in 2021 and continue supporting local businesses, artists, artisans, and community organizations throughout the new year.
Melrose Trading Post’s sister programs at Greenway Arts Alliance continued providing arts education and community productions despite moving online for the Fall 2020 Semester.
This fall, the Greenway Court Theatre commissioned and produced a theatre-film hybrid project called IF I SHOULD WAKE. The project celebrates the community organization’s 20th Anniversary and asks the question, “How do you find rebirth in these fractured times?” You can learn more about the production at greenwaycourttheatre.org/wake and follow GCT’s Twitch channel here.
Greenway Institute for the Arts has been providing weekly drama, film, and dance classes via Zoom, as well as other workshops on gardening, fashion, hip hop, and cooking. You can learn more about Greenway Institute for the Arts here.
The students and staff of Greenway ended the semester together with a virtual holiday party and a pancake making contest to celebrate the contributions of every person who makes our non-profit organization possible.
Here’s a look at some of the students’ creations:
