#sundayartbazaar: Triumphs, Challenges, New Location



Greetings Sunday Art Bazaar Friends and Family,

I hope this day finds you exceedingly and abundantly blessed! I want to give you an update on the Sunday Art Bazaar and open a conversation that may generate ideas, solutions, and even guide us to even greater possibilities.      

On May 21st, I opened my front lawn and home to the Sunday Art Bazaar. The mission was to give artists, including myself, an opportunity to introduce and sell their products in a loving and supportive environment and create a feel good event where people from the community could Shop, Eat, and Vibe.

Every week that we have gathered, JOY has been the emoji! Infused with good energy is my home. It has been affectionately earmarked the Freedoms Drum Community Center (read history here), and has been an extension of the bazaar. Through its lens I have witnessed entrepreneurial spirits being lifted as well as the embrace and outpouring of this loving energy to those who have stopped by. It has been JOY to witness love in motion. What a gift for all of us in this community!

I also count it all joy that with great triumphs can come great challenges. Adulting is not always fun, but necessary. Several weeks ago, following a complaint from someone asking if the event was legal, I received a violation notice from the city of Durham. (Zoning RS8- Outdoor display without site approval). I followed up with a call to the city planner and was discouraged to move forward because of the long and costly process that also required me to obtain an architect and an attorney to draw up a city site plan. My residence is zoned commercial/residential and though I never charged artists a fee for participating, the fine for me to continue at my location is $500 (per event). 

Seeking direction, I initially shared the notice with a few colleagues, and was delighted when one wrote back and said, “...it took off like gangbusters and it's a beautiful thing that should not be interrupted.” Thank You - I couldn’t agree more!

So, we have outgrown our current situation...new possibilities await!

  

The good news is that since receiving the notice, other conversations, meetings, and groups have spawned and the Sunday Art Bazaar will move forward! In the meantime, until a resolution is made manifest, I welcome your ideas, suggestions, or location leads. Please email me at: iamfreedomsdrum@gmail.com. 

Thanks for all that you do and for all that you are!

With Love,

Shawn


"In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds."

Henri J.M. Nouwen

Past bazaar event links: 

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