The Artist Alley this year was easily the best part of NYCC ’21 for me. Although crowded, it was extremely hope-inducing to see so many artists back in a shared space, selling their wares. It was nice to talk to some of them about their work, particularly butternut_gouach(e), also known as Erin Lefler, who had really fun and lovely conversations with nearly everyone who came to her booth, whether they bought something or not! The two of us had a little convo about The Beat, which Lefler reads, so shout out to her, if she’s reading this! She also displayed a simply stunning Hunchback of Notre Dame-inspired dress during the con. See below!

I didn’t buy much this year at the show–I’m still in school, and funds can be tight. I also limited myself to a monetary amount I shall not disclose. But still, I’d like to highlight a few artists whose work I got to check out, while also offering my congratulations to every artist in the Artist Alley. I didn’t get to talk to everyone, obviously, as that would’ve taken the entire con and beyond, but I did get to enjoy looking at a great deal and a large variety of art.

Cathleen Abalos had my favorite piece of art at the entire con, a simply scrumptious surprise: a My Fair Lady piece of art, featuring Audrey Hepburn’s Eliza Doolittle. For a proud MFL fan and TCM viewer like myself, seeing anything remotely Classic Hollywood at these sorts of cons is an amazing surprise. I may have purchased it.

I found Eliza Doolittle herself at the NYCC '21 Artist Alley
Cathleen Abalos’s rendition of Eliza Doolittle from MY FAIR LADY

Another highlight was Jenny Park (@asunnydisposish) who had a simply delightful What We Do in the Shadows piece of art, which you can purchase on Etsy, if you’re so inclined!

Finally, a shout-out to Monkey Minion, a two-person team from Wichita, KS, who make what they call POPaganada posters, a lot of which are about space and NASA, and which are absolutely gorgeous. If you know my writing here for The Beat, you know I write about the two premiere space-focused shows on air currently: The Expanse and For All Mankind. So, of course, I had to purchase this piece of art arguing for the continued exploration of space.

"One Giant Leap is Not Enough" at the NYCC '21 Artist Alley
Monkey Minion’s poster arguing for the continued exploration of space

All in all, a great Artist Alley equaled out to one of my favorite parts of a con which terrified me at first. Here’s to the next Artist Alley I get to see, wherever it is. If you get the chance, definitely support these artists, and the rest that are listed here at NYCC’s site.

Miss any of our other NYCC ’21 coverage? Click here to check it out!

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