This year’s Homecoming Art Market will bring the perfect combo of food, tunes, and all things art.
Ottawa is not a sleepy town. The teams at Nosy Mag and First Crush argue that it is up to us to foster spaces and community for artists and creatives. When we actively tackle this goal, exciting things happen.
The Homecoming: Art Market and Music event is a manifestation of this endeavour. Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter, the Founder of First Crush said in an interview with the Fulcrum, “We tried to respond to the idea that Ottawa was boring by showing that it’s more productive to create opportunities for people to come together.”
On a sunny morning, we met online with representatives from Nosy Mag, First Crush, and one of the many creative vendors to discuss Sunday’s Homecoming event on Oct. 1. The discussion included an overview of what to expect at the art market: wise alumni advice, and a few kitty interruptions. You can’t have an online meeting without some cat shenanigans!
Sarah Jasmine Hodgson, the Nosy Mag Project Director, and Argiropulos-Hunter are part of the team of bright minds managing and planning the showcase.
These passionate artists have known each other for a long time — since their time at the U of O, in fact. Hodgson said “I met [Argiropulos-Hunter] when I was like 18 or 19 at [the University of] Ottawa. So we’ve always been in the same communities and I’ve watched [Argiropulos-Hunter] grow… I feel like we’ve always been doing very similar things.” So of course Hodgson and Argiropulos-Hunter would collaborate on this project.
Reflecting on her U of O days, Hodgson describes it as an environment that encourages learning and growing. She enjoys visiting the U of O Visual Arts Building, calling it her “happy place”, where she loves “chatting with all the professors and students.”
When asked about creative life after school and advice for current students Argiropulos-Hunter has some excellent insight. In addition to stressing the importance of fostering patience, she said “I had a teacher once who told me that the job you will have does not exist yet. So, I think the same applies for any creative pursuit. That is motivational.”
On the topic of the art community, Hodgson adds, “We can all help each other out. Most of us end up, if we pursue arts in some way, working in the same sector together. So it’s important that we help one another out because otherwise, no one really wins.”
The team is very excited for the showcase to bring communities together and for local artists to have a creative space to sell and exhibit their work. Homecoming will give a spotlight to artists from the Ottawa-Gatineau region and raise money for the Minwaashin Lodge, through their pay-what-you-can bake sale.
On Sunday, Oct. 1, the Homecoming showcase will take place at the Vanier Hub. The event will be the perfect combination of artistic talent from local musicians and art vendors, like Kayla Eli, the founder and editor of the Birds Lips Zine.
Eli’s inspiration for her recent project came after a creative block that left her “anxious about starting [her] work after school.” A 2022 fine arts graduate, utilised her degree to capture the complexity of her project. The goal of the project was to “tell the story of why I took an abrupt pause from artmaking as I shifted my focus onto writing about things in my life that make me vulnerable. It’s time to get my voice out there.”
Homecoming boasts a wide variety of artistic vendors that provide pottery, paintings, hand-made clothing, and so many other options! With such diverse options for sale, you’ll be tempted to get at least one thing from everyone. After attending last year’s art market, Hodgson jokingly warns, “be careful out there, you might buy too much stuff; everything is so cute!”
In addition to the many vendors, there is much more going on at Homecoming.
Argiropulos-Hunter explains there will be four performing artists. Two artists will be performing live sets and there will be two DJs. One of the DJs is Argiropulos-Hunter herself. She adds “The event is really curated to represent the breadth of creative music”.
We’re so excited for the live music and variety of vendors and to see students, neighbours, and friends gather at Vanier Hub.
You can expect a day filled with lots of art, snacks, and music to keep you entertained!
‘Homecoming’ is a testament to the determination of Nosy Mag and First Crush to bring the Ottawa art scene to life. The art market brings music and creators of different disciplines together, so there really is something for everyone to enjoy.
