Local Artists to Host Pop-Up in Downtown Fergus Falls on Small Business Saturday

Jess Schmit and Nancy XiáoRong Valentine will be selling their original artworks and other creative goods in the Sugarbomb storefront space on Saturday, November 28th.

Local artists Jess Schmidt and Nancy XiáoRong  Valentine will be hosting an artist pop-up shopping event in the Sugarbomb storefront, 123 E. Lincoln Ave., in downtown Fergus Falls on Saturday, November 28th from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Schmidt and Valentine will be featuring a variety of original artworks, prints, artist merchandise and some holiday-specific ornaments and goods for purchase.

“The main reason we’ve decided to host our pop-up on Small Business Saturday is because we want to encourage people to shop locally this holiday season. The creative community has been hit especially hard by this pandemic and the dollars spent supporting local artists and small businesses has a direct impact sustaining local families and restoring hope during these uncertain times” said Valentine.

Valentine, a self-taught watermedium artist, began her creative career in 2016 with a children’s craft-quality watercolor palette and a vision. After receiving support from the Lake Region Arts Council Career Development Grant in 2017, Valentine acquired professional grade materials and now creates with conviction. Much of her artistry draws technical inspiration from her Chinese heritage and features abstract themes of beauty, hope and resilience. 

Schmidt, a primarily self-taught acrylic artist, creates abstract 2D works on canvas using fluorescent acrylic and aerosol paints. She is deeply fascinated and driven by the relationship that abstract art allows the artist and the viewer to form and much of her subject matter is based on introspection and a focus on personal growth. 

Valentine and Schmidt are long-time friends and very different artists; though they both create 2D works, Schmidt’s work typically features vibrant colors and intricate line-work in her abstract pieces whereas Valentine is known for her muted minimalist color palettes and bold organic brush strokes. This will be their first artist event together and Schmidt’s first pop-up event of her creative career. 

“We are so grateful to the Hastings family and Greater Fergus Falls for making this pop-up event a possibility” added Valentine. “Though we’re both working on it, neither Jess nor I have an online shop at this time, so this pop-up is really the only place where people can purchase our artwork this season.”

The Hastings family operates Sugarbomb, a pop-up candy store, during the summer months at the same location. “As a property owner, we are in a position to foster entrepreneurship. We’ve had an excellent experience with our pop-up store and are excited to share the opportunity with those who are exploring small business ownership,” said Hastings. 

Valentine and Schmidt are also aware of the hurdles that come with hosting a pop-up shopping event during a Pandemic. “For ourselves and the health of our beloved community, we will be encouraging mask-wearing, physical distancing and featuring hand-sanitizer stations at this event,” Valentine shared, adding “we want to ensure we’re supporting a safe shopping atmosphere for those who choose to come through and support us.” 

More information about this event and the artists can be found on social media at facebook.com/TheArtOfJessSchmidt and facebook.com/NancyXValentine.