Campus creatives vend, spend at spring Co-op art market

Around 30 student vendors lay out wares for afternoon of selling, buying, community

On Feb. 26, the student-run cafe and hangout spot The Co-op held their first art market of the Spring 2023 semester. The market had roughly 30 vendors, who displayed their various wares of jewelry, prints, fiber arts, clothing and more in a maze of tables within the cozy cafe, all with a backdrop of snowfall outside.
A Co-op event coordinator, Grace Marchant ’25, helped plan this semester’s market.
“We all collaborated at our meetings on how to get this idea together. We realized we wanted bigger vendors and wanted to reach out to people on campus,” said Marchant.
The market is a student-run effort that centers student artists. Even the marketing strategy involved student artists – the Co-op planning team reaches out to poster artists to design art to promote their events. Chloe Pullman ’25 created the latest poster for this event.
The Co-op makes their markets accessible to student vendors, and all the profits made from the market go directly back to vendors. Artist stalls typically had printed Venmo QR codes to accept payment for their work.
“We do not charge to have a space or stall in The Co-op. It is all sliding scale,” said Marchant.
Fiber artist Alex Stukert ’25 sold crocheted and knitted goods for the first time at the art market. Stukert feels passionate about her medium and enjoyed the opportunity to sell work at the market.
“Very popular at this art market were my tapestries,” said Stukert. “Something about the process of working with fibers and yarns feels rewarding. Each step is labor and you have to keep going, you have to stay consistent and it is very therapeutic. You can create surprisingly complex pieces with one or two colors of yarn.”
Stukert aims to make her goods accessible to all students. This process has allowed to find her business’s niche style.
“My pricing is on the affordable side right now. I am still learning, trying to improve, and building a brand that is unique to me,” said Stukert. “I am selling multiple things in different styles because I am trying to hone in on what makes my business mine.”
Elly Encell ‘25 sold her ceramics at the market. Her passion for pottery was born during her gap year in her hometown of Madison, WI.
“I decided to take a beginner ceramics class just throwing on the wheel. It was the best decision I have ever made,” said Encell. “I became a member at the studio after that. Since all my friends were gone at college, I spent almost every day there. I fell in love with it.”
This was Encell’s first time selling at a market, and it gave her new experience in selling artwork, including attaching a monetary value to pieces. Lewis & Clark’s 3D Technician Dylan Beck helped Encell price her pottery work.
“I sold half of my things,” said Encell. “Out of that, I made around $80 because I did not want to price high for my first time selling at a market.”
Encell likes to diversify her styles with each item she makes.
“I spend a lot of time on each piece and I do not have a particular style. I make everything really differently,” said Encell. “I will hand-build or throw on the wheel but I always make sure to put a good amount of time and effort into each little piece. I am also very fond of doing weird textures.”
Art is also for sale and can be sold at The Co-op when there is no market.
“We also let artists sell their art in The Coop anytime,” said Marchant. “Artists can send us an email and choose a spot on our bookcase.”