Photo credit: Rose aux joues photography (roseauxjoues.com)
A week ago, Veni Etiam Photography participated in its first-ever artisan fair, hosted by the Montreal Etsy Team. The event was a smash, with close to thirty artisans showcasing their creations to thousands of enthusiastic shoppers. The venue was at full-capacity all day long, with a line winding around the exterior of the building. We stayed open an extra hour, so as not to have to shoo people away. The overwhelming response truly validated the community's love for all that is crafted by locals!
It was an amazing experience to be part of such a fair together with so many warm and talented co-artisans, some of which have become like a new set of colleagues and friends for me! It was also a true gift to witness -- for the first time -- peoples' reactions to my photographs. There were many prints to flip through, and I was astonished at how patiently people did so, despite the crowds. They often read the title and description, and turned to whoever was accompanying them, urging them to look, commenting on the colors or the location, and how they had been there or forever wanted to go. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I realized that what I had wanted to share with others and the feelings and beauty I had wanted to convey did reach many of them, as I'd wished. Of course, others flipped through much more quickly and even had the audacity (which I appreciated!) to directly ask why any of this is special at all, and "Isn't it just a photo?". But those reactions also propelled me to think about what I am trying to do and how I am doing it, so they were equally important and constructive for me.
In addition to having applied for a number of other similar fairs taking place in Montreal over the summer, I am continuing to slowly spread my wings in select boutiques in the city. As of this week, you can find the Montreal collection displayed at Art Pop Mtl and L'art des artisans du Québec. It's an exciting adventure to collaborate with local shopkeepers and I am eager to learn what works and what may work less. As the list of shops (hopefully) grows, I will update you on them so that, if you are in the Montreal area and would like to get yourself or someone a gift from this city, you'll know where to find some of Veni Etiam's Montreal prints!
These weeks have been and will continue to be a maddening whirlwind of writing for my scientific side, as I have a deadline glaring at me with big scary eyes. That said, I am always profoundly happy to save some minutes to cater to Veni Etiam and to watch the little seedlings grow.
It was an amazing experience to be part of such a fair together with so many warm and talented co-artisans, some of which have become like a new set of colleagues and friends for me! It was also a true gift to witness -- for the first time -- peoples' reactions to my photographs. There were many prints to flip through, and I was astonished at how patiently people did so, despite the crowds. They often read the title and description, and turned to whoever was accompanying them, urging them to look, commenting on the colors or the location, and how they had been there or forever wanted to go. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I realized that what I had wanted to share with others and the feelings and beauty I had wanted to convey did reach many of them, as I'd wished. Of course, others flipped through much more quickly and even had the audacity (which I appreciated!) to directly ask why any of this is special at all, and "Isn't it just a photo?". But those reactions also propelled me to think about what I am trying to do and how I am doing it, so they were equally important and constructive for me.
In addition to having applied for a number of other similar fairs taking place in Montreal over the summer, I am continuing to slowly spread my wings in select boutiques in the city. As of this week, you can find the Montreal collection displayed at Art Pop Mtl and L'art des artisans du Québec. It's an exciting adventure to collaborate with local shopkeepers and I am eager to learn what works and what may work less. As the list of shops (hopefully) grows, I will update you on them so that, if you are in the Montreal area and would like to get yourself or someone a gift from this city, you'll know where to find some of Veni Etiam's Montreal prints!
These weeks have been and will continue to be a maddening whirlwind of writing for my scientific side, as I have a deadline glaring at me with big scary eyes. That said, I am always profoundly happy to save some minutes to cater to Veni Etiam and to watch the little seedlings grow.
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