EDGEBROOK — If Local Goods Chicago participated in the Women's Strike being planned nationwide in honor of International Women's Day on Wednesday, there would be no one to mind the store.
So instead, the tandem of women operating the artisan craft business, 5422 W. Devon Ave., are featuring feminist posters, buttons and other accessories plucked from the 100-plus creative ladies who stock their shelves.
Shoppers will be able to pick up items including a "nasty woman" pin featuring Princess Leia, a print of a famous Eleanor Roosevelt quote, or a tiny pink "pussy hat" dangling from a safety pin.
Denise Handwerker, who works at the store and designed a set of felt and fabric swatches, said showcasing local women's craftiness could be just as powerful as any strike or boycott.
"There's sometimes not as much value placed in categories of things usually made by women, like fabrics," Handwerkers said. "But being able to come in and have that connection with the people who made all your stuff, you see the work that goes into it."
The store will also give away free buttons all day Wednesday with the International Women's Day logo printed on them, and 20 percent of the day's earnings will go to Bright Endeavors, which benefits young mothers living in poverty.
January's massive nationwide outbreak of women's marches have launched an ongoing cultural movement kicking up all kinds of creative expression, Local Goods owner Laura Guenther said.
"People are creating things to express themselves, and really making things that are extensions of themselves," Guenther said. "And now, art is being used a lot more more to bring people's attention to the world."
