By: Grace LaVier
Can you believe it? Only two days until ShopColumbia presents their fourth annual holiday market! To really understand the essence of The Market, lets hop on a time machine and go behind the scenes to last year’s remarkable event.
On December 9 & 10th, 2011, ShopColumbia held the third annual holiday market. The Shop brought artists new traffic to their work by selling their products in the holiday market just in time for the holiday gift season. In the past, ShopColumbia took a focus on the event and the selling of products, but last year they came up with something a little different. “Last year we decided to make that the main focus. This was a great way to encourage attendance. It isn’t everyday you get to meet the person who made the work you purchase! We also thought this would be a great networking opportunity for our artists to connect with their peers, as well as their customers,” said Shop coordinator, Shannon Bourne.
This idea of bringing artists and customers together was a great success for both the Shop and the participating artists. The event brought in over a 1,000 people and made an astounding profit of $7,200! The artists that were featured in last year’s event not only made money off their artwork to support their career but took an important step into setting the foundation of their artistic business. “Artists that participated definitely saw increased sales compared to those that did not participate,” reveailed Bourne, “Featured artists were able to build upon their customer base and increase their sales. On top of that, the college community was able to meet all of the talented students and alumni at our school. Customers were thrilled to buy unique gifts for their friends and family and were proud of supporting local artists.”
Due to the successes brought in last year, The Market of 2012 is going above and beyond this weekend. This year, the event will be held for three days to insure customers can get their one-of-a-kind holiday gifts! Also, it will take up the whole first floor of Columbia’s College’s 623 S. Wasbash building and continue into the Hokin Gallery. Lastly, there will be even more art for customers to choose from. 23 talented artists were featured last year and more, new artists will be discovered this year.
ShopColumbia will kick things off with a reception on December 6 at 4 pm. The reception will consist of entertainment, beverages and treats, along with shopping and meets with the artists! There is something for everyone at The Market, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to be inspired and supportive of our featured artists.
Can’t make it to The Market? Then be sure to check out ShopColumbia’s online store at http://shop.colum.edu/index.php.
The Market 