COEUR d’ALENE — Coeur d’Alene High School student Emily Fehling found more than her passion for ceramics when she began volunteering at Emerge a few years ago.

She also found community — one that inspired her to channel her creativity into making her name for herself through her business, Emily Lane Ceramics.

“All of the people here are just so amazing and encouraging,” Fehling said. “Emerge encourages everyone to make art.”

Fehling’s offerings of handmade trinkets, decorations and usable wares were on display during the art studio’s annual Holiday Market, which featured about 20 vendors in total.

The Market coincided with downtown Coeur d’Alene’s yearly Wine for the Holidays event, which invites attendees to “shop small” along Sherman Avenue while sampling a variety of wines.

“This gives our artists an opportunity to sell their work and network with other vendors,” said Jaiden Haley with Emerge.

The Market was also a chance for artists to educate curious customers about their artistic processes.

Korrine Rothrock, a creator of wild-foraged herbal teas under the business name Lapis Sky, spoke with those who passed by her booth about foraging in the Inland Northwest as well as the art of cultivating a home garden.

“I like to bring the old arts into learning,” Rothrock said.

Like Fehling, Rothrock believes that Emerge does important work in creating a community space for artists throughout the region.

“Events like these bring a lot of different artists and mediums into a kind of local bubble,” Rothrock said.  

    Korrine Rothrock of Lapis Sky connects with a Holiday Market attendee at Emerge on Saturday in Coeur d'Alene.