TMA's Spring Artisans Market was Fantastic!

I thoroughly enjoyed my first booth experience in downtown Tucson. I was in a little cul-de-sac of the event with about 10 other vendors, and it was like our own little neighborhood within the large market that sprawled all over the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block's grounds. I was pleasantly situated between a fantastic jeweler (Original Sin Jewelry) and an amazing perfumer (Wexley & Co).

Also in my little corner of the market was the Tucson Chocolate Factory. (I made sure to stop by and figure out their "processed in a facility with" status for my nut allergies, and they are going to be in situation to address cross-contamination concerns in a matter of days. Yay!) My husband took a shift in the booth so I could wander the market a bit myself for a small shopping spree and quick chats with other artisans and their experience of the market.

The one big downside to the weekend was the heat. The desert decided to hang out in the upper 80s and low 90s all three days. Even with our famous Dry Heat, that's a lot. A good number of people did lather up in sunscreen to wander the market, and I enjoyed meeting so many! One of my larger pieces caught the eye of a couple of folks who seemed excited to visit me at my next booth after they took the idea of the painting back home to envision it in a couple of spaces. As usual, a lot of folks just enjoyed all the color in my booth. For this market, though, the crowd really found my banner engaging as well as an info sheet I have on the leading tables about how, after 20 years in clinical research, I've flipped the script to put art and writing center stage.

Thank you, Tucson, for braving the heat and listening to my story and sharing yours. I look forward to visiting this market again later this year, even if only as a patron instead of a vendor (although I'd prefer to get my booth back in that space).