If you’ve taken a walk in Over-the-Rhine recently, it’s probable that you’ve seen a black-and-white hand-drawn flyer advertising Cincy Punx Art Fair, complete with a cartoon feline wearing a spiky, patch-covered vest that reads, “All cats are beautiful.” The brainchild of Ally Bachman, a student at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, the art fair is imbued with a DIY aesthetic.
The idea to hold an arts and crafts fair with a punk rock spin came to Bachman by way of Instagram as they noticed similar events unfolding across the country.
“But (the events were) too far for me to ever attend reasonably,” Bachman says. “So I’m like, ‘Why don’t I host something like that here and bring this awesome thing where I’m at?'”
And they did exactly that. Nearly 900 people have already marked themselves as interested on the Facebook event page, which says the fair will be held from 1-6 p.m, Saturday, Oct. 26. It will feature 25 vendors in total, most of which are local to Cincinnati. But Bachman says they have had to turn down “at least 35” vendors because the fair was already at capacity for accepting vendors.
“I’ve had to tell these people, ‘I am genuinely so excited for your interest in participating in this event, but we are at capacity. However, I’m almost assuredly doing this again next year. So please keep us in mind. And by all means, bring some stuff to the show to trade,’ ” Bachman says.
Of those who are vending, Bachman says there will be screenprints, T-shirts, patches, zines, stickers and various artworks; gender and body-inclusive fashion designers will showcase their clothing; and a local record company will sell their music and merch.
Attendees can also expect live painting by Zach Gibson and a “badass potluck” — so bring a dish to contribute. (Bachman assures that there will be vegan options available.) Vendors include Doneybat (Bachman), Emma Rose, Lord of the Left Hand, Landslide Records, Rebirth Garments, Sea Dax, Very Very Small Press, Emlayart, S. Long, BeachGoth420, Megamax, Cannoli, Realicide and more. Being so close to Halloween, costumes are encouraged. So get spooky.
“I wanted an art fair that anybody could come to regardless of what they were working with money wise. So if you want to come and spend 50 cents on a couple of buttons, then you can come and do that,” Bachman says. “So it’s a pretty accessible.”
When asked what attracts them to the DIY scene, Bachman says that with environmental and political disasters occurring across the globe — such as climate change — anything they can do to lessen their personal impact, they will. As an example, Bachman says that the majority of their work is made from recycled or upcycled materials. Their AAC studio space reflects this: screenprinted posters line the cinderblock wall; zines are stacked high and nestled on various shelves, interspersed with hand-bound notebooks; cute-but-spooky cats, bats and an array of other critters smile up from many of Bachman’s pieces; and T-shirts lay folded.
“Finding communities of people that also think that way and also want to implement these ideas and practices in our daily life is really cool,” Bachman says. “And it just kind of gives me hope for the better world.”
1-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $1-$15 suggested donation. Art Academy of Cincinnati, 1212 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine, searchable on Facebook.
This article appears in Oct 16-29, 2019.
