2018 event recap
A U G U S T //
RAW Showcase "CONNECT" @ The House of Blues SD
Hashtags work; if you ask me how, my response would be this art show. One day I received an email from the event coordinators at RAW telling me that they had come across my work on instagram & wanted to interview me for their upcoming event "CONNECT" in San Diego's House of Blues. At first I thought it was a joke, but one interview later and the next thing I knew I was prepping for my first event in less than a month. Best. Decision. Ever. Printmaking was something I had started doing only a month and a half earlier & the next thing I knew it had me (quite literally) connecting with the artisan community in San Diego.
O C T O B E R //
Art & Beer @ AleSmith Brewing
A month had passed when another email popped up in my inbox from Art & Beer SD. It caught my interest; I had no idea there were art markets held at breweries. So I hopped on the invite. There were so many people – tall humans, small humans, and furry babies. The best parts about this event were a few things 1.Getting to know the coordinators and those who would stop by my table to chat. 2.Genuine conversations about on trying to find others to connect with after moving from a different part of the states or the world. 3. Encouragement & help from my family; they are my number one supporters.
N O V E M B E R //
Lady Killas Tits & Tats Fundraiser @ Black River Tattoo
Lady Killas is a bad ass group of women who support the hustle & equality. I had met one of the coordinators (Courtney Wall) earlier in the year at their Let's Talk About Sex Galentine's Event; we chatted & later again connected again on Instagram. The fundraiser for breast cancer had flash tatts, live music performance, and once again... small furry babies.
D E C E M B E R //
Holiday Market with SD Made @ Liberty Station
Kristin is a co-founder of SD Made; we met earlier in the year at the RAW Showcase and she talked with me a bit about their business. After reaching out to her, I found myself at 2 of their end-of-the-year markets. This event was located in Liberty Station, an old military base turned into a local shopping center. Waves of people moved in an out of the building in search of hand-crafted gifts for loved ones. There was jewelry, art, candles, food, coffee, succulents, holiday cards, and so much more!
Shops & Hops with SD Made @ Bread & Salt
Bread & Salt is a warehouse space in Barrio Logan where this event was located. At this point I'm start to see familiar faces from the artisan community and start to feel more involved. A live band was playing, there were tacos, and fresh cold December air that the year was coming to an end.
Holiday Pop-up Shop @ You Belong Here
2018 wasn't over yet! There a couple more last minute invites of which included a Pop-up Shop put on by You Belong Here, co-founded by Nic Roc and Stacy Keck. The space and it's founders were incredibly welcoming. While setting up the day before the event I was able to talk with the other artists and business women about their work. It was inspiring to see how diverse pieces flow together, resembling a small store space. On the day of there was a full table of snacks, live music, & the most welcoming space in City Heights.
Holiday Market with Self Made California @ Quartyard
Mariah and her husband are founders of Self Made California. They hold these events every month at Quartyard in Downtown San Diego. There was a tree lighting, music, local dance groups, a bar, and thankfully a small cafe because is was exceptionally chilly that night. Thankfully conversation with guests and attention smol doggos kept the crowd warm. I felt overwhelmingly grateful as we packed up at the end of the night looking back at all the people that I had met over the course of the last few months. Knowing there individuals who give artists, such as myself, the chance to find another outlet outside of social media gave me hope to find a community, genuine connections, and a chance see my childhood city in a new light.
