Summer in Rochester means weekends chock-full of markets and festivals lining the streets throughout the city, from the South Wedge to Park Ave or the Neighborhood of the Arts — and chances are you might’ve stumbled across Vic Crafts. Nearly every weekend this summer, rising senior and small business owner Vic Cohen could be found with their stand adorned with a variety of handmade chainmail jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, and earrings — whether it was at the Art Jam Market, the Annual Queer Handmade Art Sale, market days at Boulder Coffee, or markets hosted by the Flying Squirrel and the Free Art Collective.
Cohen only began making chainmail jewelry in April with no previous experience in jewelry making. Currently double majoring in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Psychology, they’re co-president of Jewish Voice for Peace, a Meridian, an admissions interviewer, and an undergraduate researcher at URMC. Being an RA stuck on campus until long past the end of the semester, Cohen found themselves looking for something to keep them occupied, which led to them searching for tutorials online and on Pinterest after getting initial inspiration from Etsy.
“This was the first time I learned how to like an actual craft and like, you know, multiple dimensions of it,” Cohen said.
Cohen began selling to friends and on Instagram, and eventually at art markets around town. Their summer was spent mostly exploring Rochester and jewelry-making while rewatching old TV shows like Gossip Girl and Sex and the City.
“It’s so fun. And also I’m a college student. I want cool jewelry,” Cohen said. “It originally started out exclusively for my friends. And because I wanted them to, you know, get cool jewelry without having to break the bank and get it for a reasonable price.”
These markets have also been Cohen’s gateway into Rochester’s vibrant art community encompassing University of Rochester students, students on other campuses, and burgeoning young professionals in the city.
Cohen explains, “It’s definitely its own little community. A lot of these people, they’re teachers and office workers and things like that and it’s like I’m a college student you know. I feel so tiny in the scene but everyone’s just so kind and welcoming.”
This has allowed them to learn from others in the scene and improve on their art, learning different weaves and incorporating different tips and tricks in their pieces. Cohen has connected with RIT and MCC students, learning that the former institution has a jewelry-making major and meeting students within the major. “They’ve complimented my work, which is absolutely crazy,” Cohen said. “This has unintentionally been a great way to make friends.”
These connections led to them discovering Little Button Crafts in the South Wedge and getting the chance to host a beginner chainmail class themselves. “I know I’m capable of teaching other people but it’s really fun to share my love for this because as a STEM major, I get stressed out and I get so wrapped up in that, and being able to find an artsy outlet is nice… I’m going to teach people how to do this, which is fun because I love sharing what I do.”
After graduation, Cohen plans to apply to different graduate schools, including the Warner School for Mental Health Counseling, and continue their small business on the side.
“I’m walking the fine line of learning to not capitalize off of something I enjoy to the point where I don’t enjoy it anymore,” Cohen said. “I want this to remain something I love.”
Cohen can be found on @viccrafts on Instagram, at art markets across the city, or at their permanent stand in The Op Shop in the East End.
