SINCE September 2016, the Small Town Art Market (STAM) serves to empower local entrepreneurs to grow their network as well as showcase their talents and products. It has gathered a community of over thirty extremely talented local artists and art start-ups; the thirty made up of abstract artists, performers and designers – many of them creators of several pieces of art, ranging from various haberdasheries, items made of leather, jewelry, edgy fashion, house-ware, and even book binders. “There is so much learning and experience to gain from entrepreneurship. It is enriching, as it hones determination, confidence, and character-building.
It also shapes an individual’s mind to be creative, alert and forward-thinking,” said Nia Latif, a local mixedmedia artist from AVL Art, who is involved with STAM. Recently, the ‘Little Entrepreneurs’ Art Workshops’, also known as the ‘Junior Art Market’, kicked off its first of five Art Workshops at the Granary Kitchen and Bar, located at Wayang Street in Kuching town. The workshops are designed to help kids learn new artistic skills and cultivate their interest in creating art, in a way that is both easygoing and fun. Titled ‘Bowl Goals’, the first workshop was jointly organised and tailored by Nia, alongside Marilyn and Rachel from Flint and Steel Borneo, which is a local brand for designer stationeries (they are also founders of STAM).
‘Bowl Goals’ was a workshop where young participants, aged six to nine years old, were given an artistic, vibrant and interactive exposure to the basic stages of art entrepreneurship, and they were shown how to make artistic house-ware such as bowls, which are to be sold at the upcoming ‘Little Entrepreneurs Art Market’. In the first part of the workshop, these eager participants were taught product development and merchandising. They were then introduced to clay – the medium involved in making the bowls. They wasted little time in trying their hand at making their own clay sculptures/bowls, and were encouraged to use their creativity and imagination to add character to their creations.
Participants were taught that great revolutionary products do not necessarily need to be made from expensive materials, but should rather come from fresh ideas, coupled with the commitment and will to progress from trials and errors. With an almost one-on-one guidance by the facilitators, the children were shown the techniques of mixing colours, of painting, and of finishing processes such as glazing. Bowls made were strongly influenced by food and nature, which includes watermelons, oranges, pizzas, donuts, and leaves.
Through patience and a keen artistic sense prevalent in most little children, they were able to add value to what would have been simply plain clay bowls. Besides being shown that art possesses value, they will soon be given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the real-life experience of selling their handmade creations to the public. This provides a platform for them to establish creative thinking, social skills, as well as the confidence and experience in handling matters of finance and business (on a very small scale). “We prepare the children to be confident about their artwork and to ensure their products are of quality.
Besides learning through exposure and experience, the workshop also gives participants a head-start in life, especially when it comes to business and what it involves. They are given the full responsibility to package and price their products for the upcoming Little Entrepreneurs Art Market, during which only handmade items are allowed to be sold,” Nia explained. The Junior Art Market will be happening on 30th September 2017, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
It will be open to the public, and will be held at the Granary Kitchen and Bar. This event will also be a showcase of young and talented minds involved in various forms of art, such as singers, musicians, and dancers, of ages twelve and below. There will be four more workshops leading up to the aforementioned Junior Art Market, with clever names like: ‘Brag Bag’ (5th August); ‘Artsy Fartsy’ (19th August); ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ (2nd September), and ‘Tangle Jangle’ (16th September). For further enquiries, please contact Rachel at +6016-6131300.
