Jenna Bacon, Campus Carrier arts & living editor

Ali Luciani, Campus Carrier asst. arts & living editor

This past Saturday, the Berry Art Society hosted the November Art Market on the Moon lawn. The event showcased a  range of homemade items made by students, from crocheted critters to baked treats, jewelry and other unique crafts. From noon until 4 p.m., patrons were able to browse, shop and support the students who filled the space with originality. Student vendors registered to sell their work at the market with a link shared on the Art Society’s Instagram page or by scanning a QR code featured on flyers posted around campus. 

According to junior Cheyenne Anderson, one reason why the Art Society wanted to host this market was to give those who weren’t able to participate in the Mountain Day Market an opportunity to showcase their work. Anderson’s business, Chey’s Ceramics, specializes in handcrafted pottery, offering a range of unique, homemade pieces that reflect both artistic skill and personal style. 

When deciding which ceramic pieces to sell at the market, Anderson chose to sell things that she could make quickly and consistently. 

“It’s kind of a balance for me of thinking, ‘what do I like making’ and then ‘what will other people like’, and kind of finding some kind of middle ground,” Anderson said. 

Junior Asma Odeh, who operates Odeh’s Sweets, a baked treat business, was one of the student vendors. At the market, she sold several items, including her lotus biscoff dessert cup flavor and baklava sweets. 

“In this market exclusively, I sold a couple new items, such as a new dessert cup flavor, such as tres leches, and one of my number one seller cookies, and then a Middle Eastern sweet called kolache,” Odeh said.   

In addition to showcasing work at the campus art market, Odeh has also been an active participant in other seasonal events, including the Mountain Day Market and the Spring Market.

Odeh says the markets help her gain new customers and connections.

“With the markets, I’m able to get a lot of connections through people in the community, especially the Berry community,” Odeh said. “They have helped my business grow as a whole, which has been really nice.”

Odeh typically reviews which products performed best in previous markets to help guide her decisions about what to sell at upcoming events. 

Time management is an essential for student entrepreneurs. For Odeh, baking for a market usually takes five to eight hours across two days.

“It’s not cool baking 200 cookies and then having an exam the next day,” Odah said. “My favorite thing to do is put on my headphones and cancel out everybody around me and try to stay focused, so my product is good quality and I’m doing it efficiently while trying to maintain the work and school balance.”

Junior Kylie Knepp runs a small business called Kylie’s Kritters, where she sells her crocheted stuffed animals. Knepp was at the market on Saturday and has some suggestions for ways to improve the market next time. 

“I don’t know if [The Art Society] will want to do it at Moon on the lawn next time,” Knepp said. “I feel like having it in front of Krannert is better for picking up foot traffic. Like, people going to the post office or going to get food from D-Hall, stuff like that.” 

The November Art Market not only gave student entrepreneurs a platform to showcase their creativity but also highlighted the dedication, strategy and community spirit behind each handmade item. From pottery and pastries to crocheted critters, the event reflected the diverse talents thriving at Berry. As students like Anderson, Odeh and Knepp continue to refine their craft and grow their businesses, markets like these offer more than just a chance to sell.