Art + Design students sold their artwork at the SelfMade Pop-Up Shop.

The SelfMade Pop-Up Shop serves as the final project of the Design Entrepreneurship class in the Department of Art + Design. Junior and senior students showcased and sold their projects created in class to the community. Students got to keep all profits. 

Leslie Parker, assistant professor of graphic design, teaches the Design Entrepreneurship class.

“The final for the course is the pop-up shop. Instead of a test at the end, we do this and we get to get out in the community and meet people who we wouldn’t normally meet on campus. They get to show their work and learn about taxes and selling things and promotion and all that kind of stuff,” Parker said.

Students worked on their projects throughout the semester and were required to sell at least four of the projects they made in the class. They could also sell things they made outside of class.

Morgan Jones, a senior graphic design major from Bryant, Arkansas, said her work went for a groovier and more retro vibe. She made coasters, prints, stickers, embroidered tote bags and more.

Jones said working at the pop-up shop helped her see how engaging with customers works in the real world versus the classroom. 

“We have our favorite products, but we get to see what the audience likes the most, what they want to purchase the most,” Jones said. “That kind of helps us get an idea of what we need to continue to make in order to succeed selling things.”

Crystal Crowe, a senior graphic design major from Jonesboro, made tarot card reference guides, greeting cards and disability awareness vinyl decals.

“These are made to raise awareness for like invisible disabilities, things that are disabilities but aren’t easily seen and often get called out as if they’re not real,” Crowe said. “With my fiancée being disabled, it kind of helped push me into making the vinyl decals and to getting more awareness out there for other people.”

Tomo Suyama, a junior graphic design major from Tokyo, Japan, sold wood engravings, keychains, paper cutouts and sculptures. Suyama said their favorite piece was a Venus sculpture because the glazing turned out great.

Charlee Hounihan, a senior graphic design major from Blytheville, Arkansas, sold prints, magnets, stickers and more. Hounihan said striking a balance between what customers would buy and what they liked to create proved challenging, so they had to push themselves out of their comfort zone.

Heaven Cooper, a senior graphic design major from Memphis, said one issue they had with making their products was making sure all their designs were aligned. Cooper sold fruit-themed tote bags, buttons, keychains and more.

“When I was making my keychains, when I had to get them laser printed, I had to make sure they align right from what I digitally rendered,” Cooper said. “I got a laser cutter because they could all align so that was kind of a tedious process.”

Harley Yates, a senior graphic design major from Jonesboro, sold animal-themed merchandise while trying to capture a more nostalgic style similar to the 2000s.

Yates said the piece they are most proud of was their isopod print. The graphic design student said it was a challenge to make so-called ugly animals cute. To accomplish this look, Yates simplified the animals, removed parts they said might freak people out and gave them big eyes. 

Chase Overholser, a senior graphic design major from Wynne, Arkansas sold bookmarks, stickers, prints, pins and more. Overholser said the event helped him learn proper business techniques, such as making concise sales pitches and knowing how to talk to customers. 

Ziwei Wang, a senior graphic design major from China, made shrink-plastic rings and necklaces, as well as tote bags, pins and more. Wang said finding time to handmake their products presented a challenge. 

Tianna Matthews, a graduate student studying occupational therapy from West Memphis, Arkansas, came to the event to support the students.

“I know they work really hard and I really love handmade stuff,” Matthews said. “I got a tote bag and I got a keychain from Heaven.”

Parker said the event helps open doors for the students involved.

“A lot of them think ‘I could never do something like this’ and then they do it and they realize it’s possible to open some doors that they might have previously thought were closed,” Parker said. 

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