The weekend of April 17 was a bustling one for the arts community of Dickinson, with the senior art exhibition, college jazz concert, college choir concert, Localfest, and Arts Fest. Arts Fest occurred from 12p.m. to 4p.m. on Saturday the 18th and had student vendors selling their artworks and student performers sharing their music. I was a vendor selling art prints, crochet flowers, and made-to-customer-request drawings. An iteration of the Arts Fest has existed for several years, and I vended at the two that have occurred since I’ve been a student here. 

Last year it was on Britton Plaza, and due to the construction the event was moved to the pathways on Morgan field outside of Drayer Hall and the performances happened on the Drayer porch. A concern of mine from a business standpoint was that this location would get less foot traffic, as far more students pass through Britton to get to HUB, however, with the event coinciding with Accepted Students Day, there was still significant traffic. 

The weather was also significantly better than last year. It was warm and sunny last Saturday, whereas last year it was cold, overcast, and windy. The perfect weather made people more likely to stop for a moment to check out booths and for a far more comfortable experience for me and the others who sat behind tables for four hours. 

There was a lot of incredible talent at the show. There were three other people selling art prints besides myself, which was an increase from last year. There were additionally bracelet booths, mixed jewelry booths, bag and accessory booths, and booths selling a variety of items like stickers and painted wood. The most common vendor type specialized in crochet work, with artists producing plushies, clothes, and more. The musical artists were also great, and I was lucky enough to have a booth that faced the performers. So, I got to listen to a variety of artists including acapella groups, bands, and even a solo artist with a perfect view. 

This art show is one of the things I really love about Dickinson, because it is a strong way to encourage student artists to pursue their passions. Starting a career asan independent artist can be a hard learning curve, but Arts Fest provides a low stakes, low stress environment to become more familiar with the process. Even for those of us who don’t wish to pursue this in the long term, it is simply a good way for students to earn money for their work, have their art validated by others, and gain more life experiences.