The Isla Vista Small Artists Co-Op and Isla Vista Flea co-hosted a market on Oct. 12 at the Isla Vista Community Center, featuring a jewelry and crafts swap meet, curated clothing sales, local performers and food vendors. 

UCSB alum Robbin May Dominguez Balagtas created the I.V. Small Artists Co-op in October 2023 to make public markets more inclusive and help financially struggling students and residents of I.V. Members make business and artistic decisions as a group, and vendor fees go toward market entry costs, such as permits and fees which Balagtas said can make markets less accessible to smaller sellers.

Members collaborate to design advertising for events and redistribute funds internally with the goal of providing access to new vendors as well as basic needs services to help those who are struggling financially.

“I created a fee waiver and a sliding scale to help pick vendors that really need that accommodation while also respecting both of the organizations’ basic needs,” Balagtas said.

I.V. Flea is a popup market in I.V. that coordinates small vendors, such as those in I.V. Small Artists Co-op, and specializes in sustainable and secondhand clothing. 

It takes a different approach to traditional vending practices in the area by promoting collaboration, according to I.V. Flea Organizer Elizabeth Velasco.

“We’re more based off first come, first serve, as opposed to hand-picking vendors,” Velasco said.“I feel like the Isla Vista community is really good at reusing what’s out there, loving something again.”

The market lasted from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with around 20 different vendors and over 200 attendees. There were live music acts from local groups MONKFISH, Mission Control Music Group, Ex-Girlfriends Anonymous, DJ Evan and L4ila. Many vendors sold curated secondhand clothing, while others sold original stickers, jewelry, crochet work and plushies.

Some artists, in addition to trying to make ends meet, also try to expand their creativity and build community. Third-year zoology major, artist and member of the I.V. Small Artists Co-op Executive Team Chloe Kwon said she has been drawing her whole life and was drawn to the co-op because she wanted to be part of an artistic community.

“I found the co-op and they’re like, ‘Oh, why don’t you sell stickers?’ All my friends are telling me, ‘Oh, it’d be cool, we want to take your art with us.’ And I thought it was a more accessible way than trying to sell the original paintings,” Kwon said.

A version of this article appeared on p. 7 of the Oct. 17, 2024 edition of the Daily Nexus.