Report from the Field: Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby & Arts Festival 2015

This entry's title is somewhat misleading. I should have titled it, "Report From Under a Tent (plus one quick trip to the Port-o-Potty").

This is what I missed while I was in Philly: Art and Science meet on the street!
Learn more about Kinetic Sculpture Races across America here.

The Trenton Avenue Arts Festival was my first foray into day-long street fair vending, and I could not have managed it (I wouldn't even have learned about it) without my partner in craft, Jonelle Greene of FREEload Apparel.


And look! Now I have my very own FREEload apparel!
(Yep, those are my still tired-like-the-day-after-my-wedding feet)

 Jonelle warned me to get lots of good sleep to be ready for the long day ahead of us. Instead, I made a decoupaged Wonder Woman stool, including new leather seat, with The Man until 1:00 a.m.

Giving new life to old things! Old Thing Before...

New Thing After!

I was superglad to have that superhero stool to perch on during the fair.

Despite lack of sleep, we got out of Westchester County on time and arrived at the fair just about when we expected to...



...Late to the party.

Our borrowed but much beloved tent lacked assembly directions. I hauled our boxes and tables out of Snowflake the Van while Jonelle got tent-building directions from her phone.

I wondered briefly if we would end up with a Kinetic Sculpture Tent...

but Jonelle (and some helpful, tentless neighbors) made shade happen.

We even got the Badger Banner flying, until we realized that it was acting like a sail in the pre-thunderstorm breeze--rocking the tent and knocking all kinds of precious items to the ground--so we cut it free and stuck it to the side of a table.

"Quit whining, Badger!" I can hear you say. "Tell us about the Fair!"

I really can't say much except what I saw, which was a street section perpetually chock-full of kind, curious, sweaty shoppers. I did my best to talk up my film vases like a professional carnival barker and was rewarded with dozens of faces shifting from looks of perplexity to amazement...but not one film vase sale.

So, what did sell?
 
MAGNETS, baby. Lotta magnets.

This set of Beatles magnets (made with jeweler's glass and superstrong magnets)
was bought by a ten-year-old with a discriminating eye, a limited budget, and admirable bargaining skills. 

Funny little decorative magnets like these sold well, too. In fact, the guy who bought
"Crochet Your Own Hot Pants" insisted that he was just about to crochet his first pair of hot pants.
Serendipity!

Almost all of these sold. Weirdly, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr.,
and Johnny Rotten are still with me.

 

Thankfully, some larger (and pricier) pieces, like this glorious Wonder Woman purse, also sold.

 

Just as good as ending up in the black after a long, hot day was meeting some great people.

Like Philly's dumpster diva and artist Ellen Benson. Can you see her
very cool silverware headband and glasses set?

 Plus--after waiting almost two years--hearing this delighted exclamation: "Is that VIXEN?"

Look out for Ariell Johnson's Amalgam Comics and Coffeehouse
(at the corner of Frankford and Huntingdon in Philadelphia), and you may see this very box!

Jonelle and I ended the day with pockets full of sweaty cash, and we jumped in the van before the storm that had been threatening the day's revelry broke loose and turned the the streets of Philadelphia into rivers.

I'd call that success, wouldn't you?

Now, to make loads more magnets for our next event: The Punk Rock Flea Market in Philadephia on June 7.

Learn more here.

copyright 2015, Tanya Monier