My first Downtown Art Walk!!!

Wow, what a night! Tonight I participated for the first time in the Downtown Art Walk, held in Hemming Plaza the first Wednesday of every month. After my experience with the Beaches Art Walk, I knew a little more of what I wanted out of my display. First off, I wanted to have more material to show, so I worked all week on putting together matted prints (but pooped out before getting to make more photo boxes, unfortunately). And, I definitely knew that I wouldn't be able to trek through the streets of downtown carrying the 200lb. door I used as a display last time. So I had to come up with a new idea. But what?

I'd been thinking on it and asking friends for ideas for weeks when my good friend Jess pointed out a rad display at the Slave Market in Charleston when we were there for New Years. This man had attached segments of fence all around the sides of this table with clamps. Love it. So I went to Home Depot to investigate. In fact, I went to Home Depot a total of five times in two days, including once right at closing. Running through the aisles trying to fetch one last item (which you guessed it, was at the very end of the very last aisle) was just about as tiring as all the stressing I did trying to put my version of a fence display together.
Luckily, just as I was about to go back to HD to buy some new wood panels, my friend Shawn offered up his old broken fence. Sweet, already weathered and distressed FREE recycled wood, perfect! So I ran to his house, gathered up about 15 planks, and took them home to get to work. After pulling out tons of nails and staples and cutting them all to size, I tried to figure out how to best attach them. I didn't want to use the backing boards I'd planned to because it would make it too heavy and cumbersome. So, just as I was drifting off to clear mindedness from a massage later that day, it came to me! I attached chicken wire to the back of all the panels, so that they still resemble a fence from the front, but I can roll them up for easy transport! I was thrilled when it actually worked! Imagine that- an idea of mine that works.

So, anyway, I get to the Walk with my assistant Faith in tow and get all set up. There were a few flaws this time as with last time, and I was super nervous again, but all got set up fairly quickly and I was ready to sell! Right away, even as we set up, several people stopped by and started thumbing through my prints. In fact, I probably saw more people in the first half hour of this Walk than I did the entire Beaches Walk. The lady in charge even said this was a slow night for them!

By about the last hour, I had passed out several business cards, met a few rad artists, and gotten a slew of compliments- "attractive" (the artwork, not me), "unique", "great eye" (me, not the artwork), and "awesome". I got a few on my display as well, but happily more on the work this time.

I was beginning to be proud just to have received so much positive feedback when lo and behold, this guy who had said he wanted to buy one but had no cash (you know how that goes), actually came back!! He had walked all the way down the street to find an ATM so he could purchase one of my Mexico photo boxes!! And, in talking to him, turns out he actually went to art school, so he knows what he's talking about!!! I was thrilled!

Wow. I sold something. And not just $8 like last time, but a whole $40 (he told me to keep the change- said it was well worth $40!)!!! I could hardly wipe the smile from my face when another chap came by and wanted to buy one of my other Mexico photo boxes!!! Wow! What a night. I haven't even mentioned that a man stopped by at one point and told me he was doing an art event at the Ocean Club later in the month, and wants to include my work!! So exciting.

So, all in all, it was an amazing night. And, I didn't even talk about what a rad scene it was. Hemming Plaza is beautiful at night with the trees all full of lights and the music and the people- all kinds of people. It's a really great event, and makes me proud to be from Jacksonville. If you haven't checked it out, please do. You won't regret it!