The 2018 Farm Chicks Art Installation

I always have such a fun time planning out the themes and entryway art installations that greet shoppers as the enter The Farm Chicks Fair each year. I especially enjoy pulling from my humble childhood roots of making things that were meaningful to me out of not much at all. Because I had countless hours of time on my hands as a little girl, I’d imagine things I could make or create and then set out bringing them to life. My yearly Farm Chicks installations come together in much the same way. This year, I wanted to bring my party theme to life with just paper as my supply. It really is one of the most humble supplies out there.

The design was inspired by the paper wall art technique by Sugar and Clothand the small weavings I would make as a child using a piece of cardboard as my frame, and yarn for the weaving material. In this case, chicken wire was used for the frame and paper was used for the weaving material. It took an exhaustive amount of time, which was also ironically apropos considering the amount of time I would spend on my little childhood projects.

The art installations always present a number of challenges that have to be considered. It has to be:

• BIG because it’s a very large open space that anything too small can just be swallowed up in.
• stable and able to withstand big gusts of wind that come in through the main entrance doors from time to time.
• somewhat human-proof with visitors brushing up against it, taking photos, etc.

This year was hilariously difficult because I didn’t foresee that the installation would work like a life-sized pin art impression toy. When groups of visitors would stand in front of it for a picture and lean up against it, hundreds? thousands? of the tiny rolls of paper would be pushed back, and sometimes out. OH NO!!! So, we just kept going to the back and gently pushing and placing the rolls back in place.

Truthfully, I find so much joy in designing each installation, watching it come to life, and seeing visitors appreciate it and take pictures with it.

I carried the party theme from the installation into and overhead The Farm Chicks Souvenir space as well. The simplest of party supplies make for such a cute and happy display!

It’s never too early to begin planning your visit to The Farm Chicks Fair! It’s always held the first full weekend in June, in Spokane, Washington. The next fair will be held June 1 & 2, 2019. You can find all the details here.

Images: Kate Jennings Photography