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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Creative commerce

Bazaar brings art to the streets with aim of making connections as well as sales

Last June, the local foursome behind Terrain – Luke Baumgarten, Ginger Ewing, Patrick Kendrick and Diego Sanchez – started another one-day-only event that likewise focused on Spokane’s art community. Bazaar was designed as a marketplace for local artists to sell their wares.

The event was all about economy: The cost to rent a booth was kept to a minimum, and artists were encouraged to price their work as reasonably as possible. The idea was to not only encourage people to buy more art but for the artists to actually turn a profit.

The founders had high hopes for Bazaar, but they say they were overwhelmed by the public’s response. They estimate that 8,000 people showed up over the course of the day, and that the participating artists collectively made $36,000.

It was apparent to them that this one-off event was going to grow into an annual occurrence.

“We kind of didn’t really have a choice, because it was so good for the group of people we’re passionate about – young creatives in Spokane,” Ewing said. “It had such a positive and tangible effect.”

“The most we’ve ever sold at Terrain was $7,000,” Baumgarten said. “This is an event about buying art, so we were hoping for more. But we didn’t think it would more than quadruple.”

“We created a demand for art in a way,” Kendrick said. “People were saying, ‘I came down with this $100, and I gotta get out of here because I just spent $325.’ ”

This year’s Bazaar isn’t going to be much different than the last, but it will be bigger. The organizers say they have 57 vendors this year, which is a slight increase from last year’s total, and more than half of them are new to Bazaar.

Most of the booths will be set up on North Post Street, but the event spills over into Riverfront Park, where a stage will be erected to feature an all-day music lineup. There will also be a beer garden over by City Hall, and Couple of Chefs Catering will be on hand to provide brunch.

It’s all about adapting and adjusting, not just for the organizers but for the participating artists. Ewing says that many of the applicants returning from last year are already adjusting their business approaches accordingly, something she wasn’t expecting in only the second year.

“ ‘How do I present myself in a professional manner so I can create that relationship with the buyer?’ We saw that in a number of applications this year,” she said. “That was another measure of success for me. … I’m even more excited this year about the quality of art and craft that will be in the booths.”

“There’s a perception in the artist community that people don’t buy art in Spokane,” Baumgarten said. “It’s one day and it’s anecdotal, but this is something we can build on. People would buy art if it’s made approachable.”