This event was my first ever organizational project and it went amazing! Everyone who participated was so grateful and excited to be creative alongside their community!
In addition to this grant, I received another $500 grant from the Comox Valley Art Gallery, giving me $1000 to work with. My first item of business was acquiring a venue, and insurance. The City of Courtenay has many rental spaces available at very affordable day rates, I paid about $20 for the ‘small stage’ at Lewis Park. My ‘1 day special event insurance’ policy was created online through Duuo, and cost about $18. As a person with ADHD, I like to say I have an ‘aversion’ to forms and bureaucracy, but things were quite simple to execute! I posted on instagram a call-for-artists poster and recruited 5 artists to teach classes for a small artist fee, plus the cost of supplies. I also taught a class for free, but the grant covered my supplies. I reached out to CVEX for rentals, and received 50 chairs to rent for a donation of $100. Friends and family provided the rest of the equipment.
Everything went so well, the only thing I would do different is get more funding to make the event even bigger!
Check out my Instagram @Lauren.Correia for more pictures and videos of D.I.Y. Art Fest
