Fruit Stand Art Market

In late 2022, I noticed a gap in Lawrence’s otherwise vibrant art scene: although there were plenty of opportunities for artists to vend, many came with barriers such as high booth fees, required experience, or an upfront vending fund that emerging artists often don’t have. I wanted to create a more inclusive alternative—an art market that was completely free for artists to participate in.

That idea became Fruit Stand, a name inspired by the grassroots feeling of a neighborhood lemonade stand: local, warm, and approachable. As one of three organizers, I managed several key components of the operation:

• Venue Coordination: Secured event locations and managed all communication and logistics with the host spaces.

• Artist Curation & Vendor Management: Coordinated with 20+ local artists per event, overseeing communication, scheduling, and vendor layout.

• Creative Direction: Collaborated on event branding, contributed graphics, and wrote all copy for social media, promotional materials, and flyers.

• Community Partnerships: Reached out to local businesses to secure donations that we turned into raffle baskets to fund event costs.

• Merchandise Production: Helped design and produce Fruit Stand merchandise—T-shirts, stickers, and more—to further support event operations.

Fruit Stand quickly became a joyful community hub. We brought in a professional photographer to give every vendor high-quality images for their portfolios, helping emerging artists build credibility and confidence. The market ran four times, with the final event drawing around 30 vendors and our largest audience yet.

The operation concluded in 2024 when I left to study abroad in Japan, but Fruit Stand remains one of my proudest projects—an example of community-centered design, creative direction, and event production coming together to create equitable opportunities for artists.