yART stands for Yard Art and there’s a “yARTy” in Cincinnati this weekend.
Combine the wholesome fun of a yard sale with the careful curation of local artists and you get an event full of all kinds of unique art and entertainment – and yes, it’s actually in someone’s yard.
In the name of accessibility and community connection, Nat Grubbs founded Cincinnati’s yARt Sale a few years ago. Since then, they have hosted virtual sales during off seasons and monthly, in-person summer installments. This month’s iteration includes 40 vendors.
Coming up June 17 at 5 p.m. at 1402 Weigold Ave. in Northside, yART is kicking off its summer series with a frogs and fairies themed evening of art, music, free food, a stuff swap, a raffle, a drag show, a costume contest, a bonfire, an open-mic and its very first after party (Yafter Yarty?).
For now, they’re calling it “yART After Dark” and it extends the festivities until 11 p.m.
“We have sculptors, painters, photographers, we have people who do jewelry, people who do clothing, it’s really a smorgasbord of everything,” Grubbs tells CityBeat. “And that’s something we really try to push is diversity in what you can find.”
Grubbs encourages visitors to bring a chair or a blanket and really participate in the community-building aspect of the event.
“We encourage people to exist in that space,” Grubbs says. “We certainly don’t blame people who just pass through, but we also want to provide a space for people to congregate. We provide free food, this time we are doing a ‘stuff swap,’ where you can leave a trinket, take a trinket kind of thing. We’re doing crafts, we like to run costume contests. So just generally, we really encourage people to bring a chair and just hang out, talk to people, mingle and really see what the art has to offer.”
Grubbs also says the event aims to remain accessible from all angles, which is why it offers a low vendor fee. Grubbs has spent a lot of time selling art at various craft shows and fairs, they said, but sales didn’t often clear the overhead amount it takes to gain access to those vending opportunities. With an agreement from a close circle of friends and artists, the yART Sale was born.
“My art is a little bit more modern and out there,” Grubbs says. “And I just don’t get the traction at these other events with people looking for a different type of art. A lot of younger people do gravitate towards it, because they have an art style that is a little bit more unconventional. We really just want to offer a space that’s safe, accessible, fun and to build a community between people and the more ‘out there’ artists in Cincinnati that I feel aren’t being connected.”
Speaking of “out there” or unique and unusual experiences, this “yARTy” features a Microscope Show and Tell. Visitors can bring any item they’d like to see under the scope projected onto a big screen. The drag show performance is by Guad Ala Jara, music by Grace Eddy and the Microscope Show and Tell is hosted by Grace Park.
Visit yART Sale on social media for more information. Upcoming “yARTies” are June 17, July 15 and August 19, July and August locations are TBA.
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This article appears in Jun 14-27, 2023.
