Rainy Bray-Hopwood & Anna Allred of Fifth Market
Rainy Bray-Hopwood and Anna Allred are on a mission to engage with the local makers, artisans, and artists of northwestern Arkansas and tell their stories. Fifth Market was born from Rainy’s Fifth Street Studio, a collective of artists in Bentonville, Arkansas, that explores art and passes on craft through ceramics classes and more. From a humble market of 12, Fifth Market now hosts over 80 vendors, with pop-ups and partners in food and beverage and more.
Bentonville has become a Mid-Southern destination — with art, bike-friendly infrastructure, Michelin-starred restaurants, and museums.
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS: Rainy & Anna’s approach to empowering the Arkansas artist community is something we like to see.
NAME: Rainy Bray-Hopwood
CITY: Bentonville, AR
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START FIFTH MARKET? Myself and a few creative friends had just started our own creative businesses. None of us had a brick and mortar, so I dreamed up a pop-up market for us all to sell our wares at. The first market had 12 vendors, now we have over 80+!
HOW YOU GET IN THE CREATIVE ZONE: Grab a cup of coffee with cream and honey, and turn up the music!
YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BENTONVILLE: One second you can feel like you’re in the middle of a forest and the next you find yourself downtown in the hustle and bustle grabbing coffee or lunch. It has a little bit of everything in a tiny compact city.
YOUR GO-TO UNIFORM: Coveralls and boots
IF YOUR LIFE WAS A SONG, WHAT WOULD THE TITLE BE? Oceanic Feeling
SOMETHING YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT: My giant water bottle
NAME: Anna Allred
CITY: Bentonville, Arkansas
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START FIFTH MARKET? I was lucky to join Rainy a few markets in as we began developing larger dreams of retail in Bentonville. My favorite part is the opportunity Fifth Market has provided to engage with locals while propelling local/sustainable economic development within the creative community.
HOW YOU GET IN THE CREATIVE ZONE: It starts with an internal reset- If I haven't taken the time to become inspired by my surroundings, creativity isn’t going to happen.
YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BENTONVILLE: The accessibility to art. It's not everyday you see a Kehinde Wiley painting on the walls of a bar, or experience nature, architecture, and art in the middle of the country like you do in Bentonville.
YOUR GO-TO UNIFORM: A tan trench coat, statement dress, and black loafers.
IF YOUR LIFE WAS A SONG, WHAT WOULD THE TITLE BE? Green Light
SOMETHING YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT: Rainy and I went to a vintage market while our vision to collaborate was just beginning, while we were there I found a vintage ring in the shape of a flower with five sapphires as the petals. Now, I never leave home without it, serving as a reminder of the job we’re working towards.
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