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“You should see us in the summertime,” says Celina Sanchez, proudly gesturing toward the glass garage door wall on the north side of MESO Makers Market at the corner of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Sumner Street. “We lift this door, block the street, we have vendors, live music, food. It’s really special.”
Though speaking on a freezing February day, Sanchez is describing the scene that spills out from the retail floor of Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon’s technicolor market into the small, painted intersection during the organization’s annual Juneteenth celebration. Her digression from details about the shop’s body care sample sets and fine art jigsaw puzzles makes sense; the moment one crosses MESO Makers Market’s threshold, it’s clear—through color, art and festive displays—that the market’s retail footprint is more than just a locals-only craft boutique. Sanchez wants us to understand just how much more than glittering gifts and bespoke treasures MESO has to offer, especially during Black History Month, while the work of several of the market’s Black vendors are prominently displayed.
MESO is a small business incubator focused on underresourced and historically excluded entrepreneurs. But the organization does more than provide business assistance and education—it also operates a brick-and-mortar boutique featuring vendors showcasing everything from upcycled couture to health and wellness products. As a result, the market’s vibe is part retail lifestyle showroom, part cultural center, and part festive community space—kitchen included.
“We do so much more than create space for our vendors,” Sanchez explains matter of factly. “We do community events, pop-ups—we really do it all.”
At its core, MESO is an incubator, providing guidance and support as well as microloans and credit-building services to small, underrepresented businesses. But it’s the uniquely valuable service that Sanchez and shop manager Tyhis Dickens provide—operating as de facto mentors—that makes the MESO Makers Market such a satisfying shopping experience.
“For example,” Sanchez says as she holds up a large, palo santo-scented glass tumbler candle made by local artisan Drip Candle Goods, “this is a pretty large candle, and it might be too much for someone just wanting to sample this brand. So we suggested a line of smaller candles, and it’s worked out really well for them.” She holds up an oversized votive tumbler and compares it with its larger predecessor. “Sometimes it’s variety, sometimes it’s editing—whatever our vendors’ needs are, we’re trying to be there for them.”
That dedication to community success permeates every inch of MESO’s boutique. From the hand-stitched details that embellish the upcycled Army jackets of Kurvashus—each one an homage to Black Womanhood—to the Mama Tired line of cozy beanies and sweatshirts committed to contemporary matronly comfort through cheeky humor, MESO represents some of Portland’s most culturally impactful artisan crafters. The store peels back the city’s homogenous reputation, not only revealing prismatic diversity among its artisans but also building them up to their fullest potential.
In this way, MESO Makers Market encourages shoppers to explore the rich, growing cultural diversity Portland has cultivated—without any political pretense. For all intents and purposes, MESO is a colorful lifestyle boutique whose distinctly cross-cultural appeal creates a kind of funhouse mirror version of a Made in Portland store. Its inventory includes items for Black hair and skin care, African American Vernacular English-emblazoned streetwear, delicate Native-made beaded adornments, and even African spice blends. There are also bejeweled travel mugs, men’s grooming care items, and handcrafted basketball purses.
For patrons, MESO Makers Market is both an inspirational representation of the shop-local ethos that Portland is so committed to and an easy way to indulge in some choice retail therapy while keeping dollars in the community and small business opportunity equitably in diverse hands.
GO: MESO Makers Market, 376 NE Sumner St., 503-841-3351, mesopdx.org. 11 am–5 pm Tuesday–Saturday.