Creativity Worn with Pride: IFAM 2025 Volunteer T-Shirt Contest Winners
At IFAM, creativity doesn’t stop at the artist booths. The IFAM Volunteer T-Shirt Contest has grown into a tradition we love, because it celebrates the same handmade spirit that defines the Market itself! Each year, volunteers are inspired to transform their Market T-shirts into unique works of art, and this year’s winners kept our tradition alive with every bead and stitch!
This year’s volunteer contest winners brought that spirit to life beautifully:
1st Place – Marcie Becker
Marcie’s very first IFAM came with a shirt that traveled the world. She combined fabrics from Chile, India, and Guatemala, then added Japanese seed beads, cowrie shells, African bone beads, and Eastern European coins—all from her own collection. Nothing purchased, everything already a part of her life.
“This is my first year of participating in the Market and I was excited to alter and embellish my volunteer T-shirt. I tried to make it as international as possible… None of the materials used to make this shirt were purchased; all were already in my possession.” - Marcie B.
2nd Place – Karin Anderson
Karin’s shirt was pure joy in motion. She cut, tied, stitched, and layered until the shirt transformed into a celebration—sequins, bells, trims, and fabrics from across the globe, with Juana’s Jaguar sparkling in gold braid. She even finished the look with a handmade headband topped with a carved Indonesian piece.
“I loved volunteering again this year… I had so much fun with this!!” - Karin A.
3rd Place – Gail Rieke
For Gail, who has volunteered for 18 years, her shirt became a living archive. She turned it into a dress collaged with Market shirts from years past, each one stitched in as a memory. This year’s design features sashiko embroidery on the jaguar motif, adding a traditional Japanese element to this masterpiece!
“I’ve volunteered for 18 years… Each year’s T-shirt is removed and stitched into the dress. This year I added sashiko embroidery on the panther.” - Gail R.
Thank You, Volunteers!
A huge thank you to all the volunteers who decorated their IFAM 2025 T-shirts and submitted their creations!
The Volunteer T-Shirt Contest always reminds us that creativity runs through every corner of IFAM—not just in the artist booths, but in the community that makes this Market possible!
Congratulations to Marcie, Karin, and Gail, and thank you to every volunteer who poured heart, imagination, and artistry into their shirts this year!
