One of the many walls of Studio 18 covered in art for sale for the upcoming “Unusual Bizarre Art Market” event on Saturday. Credit: Haig Aghjayan | Lantern Reporter
From paintings and sculptures to stickers and wood crafts, Studio 18 Art Gallery’s “Unusual Bizarre Art Market” will be just as eclectic as its name suggests.
Located at 18 Orchard Lane, Studio 18 is hosting its “Unusual Bizarre Art Market” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, according to Eventbrite. Following the market, a closing reception for Studio 18’s collaborative show with 83 Gallery — titled “Befriending Our Bodies” — will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Tayler Brady, owner of Studio 18, and Cassidy Poe, manager of Studio 18, said both events are free to attend.
The market will feature 23 booths manned by local and national artists, Brady said.
“We have people that sell photography, paintings and prints of their paintings,” Brady said. “We also have people that knit things, sell vintage clothes, crystals and jewelry.”
Brady said Saturday will mark the year’s first “Unusual Bizarre Art Market” in Columbus, with the event taking place a handful of times throughout 2023. Looking forward, she said Studio 18 is aiming to host markets more regularly.
“We want to make this event a fun monthly occurrence,” Brady said. “I want this to be something people look forward to every month, with their family, friends, partners, for everyone.”
Selecting vendors from an applicant pool of roughly 120 was challenging, Brady said. Poe said each booth will present roughly 20 different types of items and artwork(s).
If the weather permits it, Poe said five booths will be set up outside the studio, while the other 18 booths are to be scattered about inside; additionally, guests can scope out the 200 pieces of art currently housed in Studio 18.
“I consider Columbus to be an art district,” Poe said. “There’s so much art to be seen.”
Even though the vendor booths will close at 3 p.m., Brady said visitors are welcome to stick around for the “Befriending Our Bodies” closing reception; as its name suggests, “Befriending Our Bodies” is centered around body positivity.
Brady said Jennifer Barney, a postdoctoral fellow at Eating and Behavioral Health Associates — a Columbus-based eating disorder treatment center — is set to give a talk beginning at 7:30 p.m.
“She will discuss the psychology behind body dissatisfaction and what we can do to combat it,” Brady said.
Brady said collaborating with a community institution like 83 Gallery, initially launched in November 2008, has been exciting. Both entities seek to spotlight the wide-ranging Columbus arts scene, she said.
“We like to represent the city,” Brady said.
According to Brady, all art on display — which entirely consists of pieces provided by 83 Gallery artists — will be available for purchase. There will also be $5 drink tickets, a handful of food vendors and a $10 raffle for the chance to win an original painting.
“We have 10 [QR codes] sitting around, so if you want to buy the art, you scan the codes, but if it’s from a vendor, you would just directly purchase it with the vendor,” Brady said. “You can use any form of payment like cash, credit card or Venmo.”
Poe said the studio wants to give local artists a voice as well as a platform to sell their work, which can often lie outside of art’s creative norms.
“The whole point is that we’re highlighting artists that are people you haven’t seen before,” Poe said. “We’re trying to be inclusive and show all of the creativity that people haven’t gotten to show yet.”
Brady said she encourages attendees to freely explore the studio space and engage with the vendors themselves.
“Interact with the artists, ask them questions,” Brady said. “Everyone’s either just getting started or trying to get their name out there, and they’ll have different stories that are fun to hear.”
More information about the “Unusual Bizarre Art Market,” including how to reserve tickets, can be found on Eventbrite.
