Puzzles of Color, a North Texas family-owned business known for its jigsaw puzzles featuring work by artists of color, is celebrating the holidays with its first Black Joy Market.
The free, daylong event will showcase more than 30 Black-owned vendors along with live performances and family activities. Puzzles of Color co-founder Ericka Jones said the idea is inspired by her family’s long tradition of puzzling together during Christmas.
“One of the things that was hard when we were children was there was not a lot of diversity in the imagery that we saw,” Jones said. “And as we got older and got back into puzzles again as adults, … still, we're not seeing a lot of diversity.”
Jones and her brother started Puzzles of Color in 2020, cutting puzzles by hand in their garage and licensing artwork directly from contemporary Black artists. Today, their puzzles are sold online, in bookstores and museums nationwide.
Pop-up events have become vital to the company’s growth. Jones said the events help the company connect with new customers and artists. But she also noticed a lack of Black-centered markets in Collin County, where her family lives. Growing up in Allen, she often drove to South Dallas to find Black-owned businesses.
“Why are all of the Black people who live up in Plano having to drive down south to go get our hair products and things like that?” she said.
Jones said her family wanted to create a holiday market that highlights Black-owned businesses and gives the community a space to support its culture.
Vendors at the Black Joy Market will offer clothing, jewelry, art prints, books, food and more. The event also features Santa Slate, a luxury Black Santa for photos, a reading by children’s author Allison Woods and a performance by Destiny Devoted Dance Company. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie is a sponsor and will share a trailer, giveaways and themed coloring pages.
The market is hosted at My Possibilities, a nonprofit that serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Attendees who donate to the organization will receive special raffle tickets.
Details:.
Nov. 22 at 11 a.m. My Possibilities, 3601 Mapleshade Lane, Plano. Admission is free.
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