Art of Wellness poster. Photo Credit: Instagram/@patchw.ork
This March, one pop-up art event centered on women and wellness is celebrating Women’s History Month and the upcoming April 20th celebration.
The event will occur on March 25th from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. Rita Thompson and Christie Ciberey will host the Art of Wellness event in the Thinkers Makers Society art gallery in Old City, Philadelphia.
The event is a collaborative effort by local women-led businesses, using cannabis and art to promote wellness. Ticket proceeds will be donated to Supernova Women.
Tonic CBD, My Bud Vase, Session, High Society Collection, Nekktar, Sackville & Co., Cushy Cones, Emerald Media, and Vulgar Yogi will all sponsor the event.
Post from @cushycones on Instagram.
Ciberey is the creator behind Talking Hippie, a studio specializing in small artisan goods and vintage home decor. Thompson is the co-founder of Patchwork, a community for artists. In addition to her experience in the cannabis industry, she has put on events like the Pop-Up Art Market and The Miracle on Hamilton Street for the past year now.
Over a joint and margaritas, she and Ciberey brainstormed the Art of Wellness event.
“The plan was to create something special to celebrate women and artists in the cannabis space through a fun, empowering event,” Thompson explained. “We are blessed to be connected with so many wonderful women advocates and creators in the area who were immediately on board.”
What to Expect at the Event
The venue, Thinkers Makers Society, is a Black-owned art gallery currently featuring all work by women artists for Women’s History Month. Including those from the event, artworks from the Philadelphia area and beyond will be on display: ceramics, candles, collages, magazines, plant potters, and more.
Thompson is an artist herself. She creates handmade earrings, and will have a limited supply of 4/20-themed polymer clay earrings available for sale at the event.
Participants can expect an assortment of art pieces. For example, vendors from local, women-led businesses will be selling a wide variety of goods. This includes fine art, cannabis accessories, and candles from recycled dispensary jars.
As some of the major highlights of the event, the artist La Reinarde will be joining as a DJ. La Reinarde will also be selling magazines and prints from her media group Nite X.
Post from @nite_x on Instagram.
Destiny of Hanging Dice Decor, which creates handmade home decor, will also conduct a live painting on site.
Additionally, there will be a raffle with items from sponsors; among them are bongs, a tonic kit, and a joint wand.
There will even be an infused cocktail bar by Ganja Brews available. In this way one can de-stress and relax with an elevated feeling.
“A big goal of the event was to create a high-end, up-scale vibe and to show people that you can consume and enjoy a nice art gallery the same way you can do so with a cocktail,” Thompson noted. “Overall, the atmosphere and energy in the space is just dope and I can’t wait to share that energy with others on Friday.”
Why art and Cannabis?
When asked about this pairing, she said, “the intersection between women, art, and cannabis has always been a clear one to me. Cannabis is a source of motivation, support and healing to me not only as an artist, but as a woman. On both a physical and mental level, I’ve found that’s something that a lot of other women relate to.”
As a cannabis advocate and writer, she helped design the Art of Wellness event to help in de-stigmatizing the plant in Philadelphia, where cannabis is only legal for medical purposes. Thompson believes there is no better way to do it than spreading open arms to the cannabis community.
Another deciding factor leading to the event is the low representation of women in the cannabis industry. As MJBizDaily reports, only 22% of executives in the industry are female. However, data shows female consumers are on the rise. According to a cannabis sales growth chart by Headset, sales for Gen Z women alone have grown by 151% in 2020.
Supernova Women
In addition to highlighting the intersection of art, wellness and cannabis, the Art of Wellness event is a charity event. As such, the proceeds from tickets and raffle items will be donated to Supernova Women, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization helping minorities to make sustainable businesses.
Thompson and Ciberey were inspired to support the organization because of its widespread support of the cannabis industry, spending years fighting for equity in the industry.
Supernova Women is not only for women. It also empowers Black and Brown people to gain a foothold in the cannabis industry.
Post from @supernovawomen on Instagram.
To attend the Art of Wellness event, one has to be 21+ with a vaccination card. While tickets with goodies bags have sold out, a few general admission tickets will be available at the door.
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