Art Land — Young Makers Market Returns To The Woodlands’ Market Street, Letting Student Artists Sell Their Creations

The already popular Young Makers Market is returning to Market Street in The Woodlands on September 6, with more than 40 local artists in third through 12th grade set to sell their work. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students to showcase their unique artistic creations in a one-day mini-arts festival.

The Woodlands Arts Council created this event last year, and developed a workshop for the students exhibitors designed to help them develop pricing, marketing plans and other aspects of selling their artworks and wares. Art for sale will include paintings, drawings, 3D art, jewelry and crochet wearables. The young artists get juried into the festival, and several artists are returning from last year’s inaugural Young Makers Market.

Sisters Ellery and Elise started a resin business dubbed Two E Designs, founding it together about three years ago.

“I got resin kit for my ninth birthday, and we’d kind of been wanting to have a business,” Ellery says. “We weren’t really sure what we would sell, but it was kind of a perfect opportunity. We got it from my aunt, and she’s very crafty, and that kind of brought (about) doing something as sisters. It’s a really fun opportunity to make something together.”

These arty sisters have participated in other markets, but really appreciate the workshop that precedes The Woodlands’ Young Makers Market.

“I think that I really learned about the importance of engaging with the customers and also knowing your clientele,” Elise says. “Because doing a market at Market Street, for example, would have different clientele than if you did one somewhere else. So it’s all about knowing the market and then catering to that.”

The sisters brought more than 100 resin pieces in earrings, bookmarks, trays, keychains and coasters to the first Young Makers Market last year and sold out of nearly everything.

“We learned a lot about what styles people did or didn’t like, and then this year, we made a lot more of the styles that they did like and less of what they didn’t like,” Ellery says. “So we should be more prepared this year.”

Students applied for the festival in May, and were notified later that month of their acceptance. The workshop was held on Saturday, August 16.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity for Young Makers Market, especially last year, since it was the first year doing it,” Ellery says.  “Market Street is such a great location to have a market, because there’s already people there, so you get the chance to sell to everybody. And they don’t have to be there specifically for the market.

“We had just been doing little sales in our neighborhood and things, but then our friend told us about the Young Makers Market. And that was a really, really big deal for our business.”

These are just two of the young student artists who will be showcasing their art at this year’s market.

The Young Makers Market will take place Saturday, September 6 from 10 am to 2 pm at Market Street in The Woodlands.