An atmospheric experience market 🎨✨

Tussen Kunst & Iets: Glorified Doorkeepers & Profit Margins 🎨☕

It all started a while back when a post popped up on my Facebook feed for an event called "Tussen Kunst & Iets" (Between Art & Something) at Atelier Het Raadhuis in 's-Heer Arendskerke 📲 After checking it out, I was super intrigued. It seemed to be purely about art, and I thought it would be really lovely to connect and talk with fellow artists 😁

So back on July 5th, I sent a message saying I was interested 📩 As you all know by now, I am someone who loves early preparation. On July 14th, I received a quick reply saying further details would follow. I waited patiently until August 18th, when I decided to send another email to get clarity. I specifically asked if there would be space inside, because I am completely done standing outside 🚫 No more hassle with my delicate drawings blowing away, getting rained on, or melting in the heat 😁

The reply made it sound like I was placed outside, so I immediately emailed back 😅 Turns out it was just a communication mixup! They invited me to come by earlier in the week so I could look at the space with my own eyes 🚗

So earlier this week, I hopped in the car and after a nice thirty minute drive, we pulled up to a parking lot behind the "atelier" 🏛️ It is a former town hall with all kinds of rooms where different artistic technique classes are taught. I definitely stored that in the back of my mind since I teach workshops myself 🧠 My spot was set for the main entrance hallway where everyone enters. The actual main market event was taking place out back in the garden, so I had a moment of doubt... standing in the hall meant I might be alone all day away from the main hubbub 🙈 But on the flip side, the indoor space was perfect and made setting up my display super easy!

Fast forward to this morning: early bird mode was fully activated 😁 I was up and ready at 6:30 AM, all packed and prepped from the night before so there would be zero stress. We planned to leave around 9:15 AM, but we actually pulled up at 9:00 AM instead 🚘 The parking lot was already completely packed. Looking to our right, we saw market stalls already active near the entrance. We looked at each other and thought the exact same thing 🧠 Everyone was walking straight to those outdoor stalls instead of through the main entrance. Good to know 😁

The first ten minutes inside were a complete whirlwind 😅 I felt super overwhelmed. Two paintings had been placed in my designated space 🖼️ When I asked about moving them, there was initially some hesitation. After a polite little back and forth, they were eventually moved 🙈

Then came problem number two: a door leading directly to the private house was right behind my spot 🚪 People and kids were constantly walking in and out. They had promised to lock it, and thankfully that got sorted around 10:15 AM after the opening ⏰

And it did not stop there 🧹 The hallway tables were covered in random clutter. I asked where I could put it, and I was told to put everything into a baby stroller standing nearby. So I did, and I cleared the tables so the area looked presentable 🧼 Shortly after, a family member arrived with her grandchild needing that exact stroller 👶 She saw the things inside and was understandably surprised and upset. I explained that I had been told to put the items there and suggested she discuss it with the person responsible for the setup 🤷‍♀️ She later came back to apologize, explaining that she had initially thought the things were my personal belongings. Luckily, that misunderstanding was cleared up.

Remember that table I spent time meticulously cleaning earlier? The one right across from me? By midmorning it was officially being used as a baby changing station 😁 You honestly could not make this stuff up 😅

I also quickly realized I had been promoted to glorified doorkeeper for the day 🚪 Every visitor walking in asked me where they were supposed to go. Honest answer? I had no idea 🙈 I had only visited once, so everyone just had to figure it out for themselves 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️👉

I took a well deserved tea break to catch my breath ☕ I was expecting a grand opening speech or something special, but nope 😁 Nothing like that. Later down the hall, I even overheard a comment that the door had to remain closed and that people would have to walk around. Not exactly the kind of attention I was hoping to receive 🙈 By 11:00 AM, I was seriously wondering if I should just pack up and go home 😅

Fortunately, things turned around a bit in the afternoon ✨ Foot traffic picked up, and around 1:00 PM a very sweet woman came by who ended up hanging out at my stand for the rest of the day 🗣️ She was a lawyer, super friendly, and gave me so many lovely compliments on my art ❤️ I even found time to join a paper marbling workshop, which was super fun (see picture) 🖌️