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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 2023)
December 20, 2023 Page 7 Arts & ENTERTAINMENT Third Annual Meso Makers Market Spike Lee accepts the award for the best adapted screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman” at Oscars. (photo credit by Chris Pizzello/AP, File) Air Jordans Made for Filmmaker Spike Lee Shoes up for auction after being donated to Oregon shelter MESO's holiday market runs through to Dec. 23. Portland Winter Market Showcases the Work of 45 Minority-Owned Small Business Shoppers seeking unique holiday gifts again have a wide variety of choices at the third annual MESO Makers Market in Portland. But their chance to shop won’t last long; the holi- day market’s last day of opera- tion will be Saturday, Dec. 23. Hosted by the nonprofit Mi- cro Enterprise Services of Or- We are Open! 3901 N. Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR 97227 P: 503.281.0453 Fax 503.281.3408 Web: www.sunlanlighting.com E-mail: kay@sunlanlighting.com egon (MESO), the market is at Alberta Commons, 376 N.E. Sumner St. The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. MESO is providing gift wrapping in return for a $10 donation through Dec. 23. Sponsored by OnPoint Com- munity Credit Union, the MESO Makers Market is a celebration of creativity and craftsmanship. It offers shoppers the opportu- nity to find one-of-a-kind gifts while supporting 45 local arti- sans who are primarily BIPOC and women clients of MESO. Gifts available for purchase include stylish clothing, face and body creams and oils, shampoo and conditioner sets, grooming essentials for men, handmade candles, intricately designed jewelry, and children’s blankets, toys, and puzzles. For a $10 donation, shoppers through Dec. 23 can make their own gift basket using a basket and wrapping materials sup- plied by MESO. This family- and communi- ty-oriented event is open to all ages. For more information, con- tact MESO at (503) 841-3351. “Our market provides a plat- form for these talented makers to showcase their unique creations,” said Celina Sanchez, MESO’s Marketing & Development Di- rector. “It is a celebration of cre- ativity and craftsmanship. It’s also another way MESO supports lo- cal entrepreneurs and helps them achieve their business goals.” AP- The shiny, gold Nike sneakers were hard to miss in the donation pile at a shelter in Port- land, Oregon, earlier this year. They were Air Jordan 3s, size 12 1/2, and one of just a few cus- tom pairs that had been made for filmmaker Spike Lee. Now they’re up for auction, where they could fetch $20,000 to ben- efit the shelter. The shoes were anonymously dropped in the donation chute at the Portland Rescue Mission in the spring. A formerly homeless man in the mission’s long-term shelter program found them while sorting through donations and brought them to the attention of the staff, according to a blog post on the mission’s website this week. Nike designer Tinker Hatfield designed the kicks in 2019 for Lee, who wore his pair to the Academy Awards that year when he accepted an Oscar for his “BlacKkKlansmen” screenplay. The donated sneakers weren’t Lee’s personal pair, but were among a few made for him to give out to his inner circle, the Portland Rescue Mission said. Hatfield visited the shelter and authenticated the shoes. He also signed a replacement box and donated other Nike merchandise. The company is based in nearby Beaverton, Oregon. “I’m thrilled the shoes ended up here,” Hatfield said in a state- ment shared by the Portland Res- cue Mission. “It’s a happy ending to a really great project.” The shoes are on auction at So- theby’s until Monday, and could fetch $15,000 to $20,000, accord- ing to the auction house. Sothe- by’s is waiving its fee, so all of the proceeds will benefit the shelter, which has helped people strug- gling with homelessness, hunger and addiction since 1949. The identity of whoever donat- ed the shoes remains a mystery.
