May just ended and up to the last days, I’m all exhausted. if you’ve read my last journal post, you’ll know how eventful MAY was for me. And yet I’m writing another event that I had. One of those that I was looking forward to accomplishing in May, and that is my participation at the BGC Art Mart last weekend.

Long Anticipation ⏰

BGC Art Mart geared towards supporting and connecting local artists with the communities by providing a venue to showcase their artistry and talent.

As quoted in the BGC Arts Center Website, “BGC Art Mart is a project of Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. (BAFI) geared towards supporting and connecting local artists with the communities by providing a venue to showcase their artistry and talent.” So for me, it is an art market for creative people to share their talent and make it available for people to appreciate and be able to purchase their work.

Given what they advocate, I really got interested in being part of it and also the setup is more of a niche and intimate, for me that’s perfect! I’ve been thinking of participating since before the pandemic, so that’s more than 4 years of contemplation. When 2024 entered, I thought this is a good time to get back to doing outside-of-my-home activities for Heartily. So summer started I got to finalize my decision and started working on the collection I’ll be displaying there.

Pop-up Day 🎁

That Saturday morning the sky was cloudy and light rain started to fall on our way to the venue. About half an hour after setting up my booth the rain started getting heavier and soon enough it was a downpour. My husband accompanied me all throughout my stay there and we didn’t know that there was a tropical depression.  We had to nudge our table a few times and eventually needed to move to a different spot because of the rain. Thankfully, it was not that windy and the staff on duty were very helpful to us.

The rain did not stop almost the whole time we were there so the foot traffic was not evident. Even though, I’m glad to get some inquiries and a sale. I enjoyed setting up my booth, I’m just happy that I was finally there and displayed my work. I was excited to see other booths too. I love that it’s located in the middle of a great environment, in open grounds, with trees and grasses all around us, in a great area with a beautiful cityscape.

Artistry Showcased! 🖼️

One of the things that I look forward to doing there is to see other artists’ pieces and get to know them too. I’m glad I got a short chance to check out some. Would love to share some photos of their booths here and maybe you’d like to check them out too!

An Artful and Heartful Experience 💛

Artful and Heartful Experience at BGC Art Mart 🪷

My own find! Artsy coasters from Hearty2Arsty 🪴

I’m really glad that I finally had the courage to join and was able to put together everything I needed. That’s really a big step for me! So even though there isn’t much foot traffic, I’m definitely fulfilled with the whole experience. It’s really great to see fellow artists and crafters and their beautiful work, which inspires and excites me to make more creative pieces. Along with that, I was able to make friends and be connected with them!

The most important thing I did not expect was the overwhelming support from my husband, family, and friends. I’m blessed with my husband accompanying me the whole time, supporting and really believing in me. I also did not expect my family to visit, but they braved the heavy rains and stayed with me, even celebrating with me afterward! And there was so much support from friends, even online, which was really heart-warming. These kinds of things are those that I will treasure from experiences like this. That encourages me to continue and, ultimately, reminds me of the purpose of why I do this and being grateful for how the Lord has blessed me.

I guess I’ll be doing this again. Have a blessed weekend! ☀️