BY ASHLEY KOWITZ
Local Do-It-Yourself artists are getting together this October for an event that will showcase the Tri-Cities’ DIY talent.
DIYDAY is an event that gives local indie artists and bands an outlet for sharing their work and a chance to meet other artists. But it also gives people in the community an interactive way to discover and support local artists.
DIYDAY is being held at Chainsaw on Oct. 26 between noon and 5 p.m. It’s an all-ages event with a “pay what you can” cover charge.
Artwork on display will include series of dioramas by Kitchener-Waterloo artist John Hendy and portraits on wood and other reclaimed materials by another Kitchener-Waterloo artist, Chris Austin.
Other mediums represented during the event will include indie-labels and silk-screeners. There will also be a zine library where visitors can browse old issues of zines, but there will also be current zine creators displaying their work.
DIYDAY will also have interactive activities for guests to get involved in, such as a booth to make your own buttons and a stand to have unflattering caricatures of yourself created. There will also be live music performed by The Famines and Hawkeyes.
Marc Lecompte, owner of both the Princess Café and Cheeses Murphy, is the organizer. He has been hosting non-profit events since 2005 with concerts, comedy shows and breakfast shows.
He became involved in the local DIY scene by putting out a zine called CTRPLLR and holding events to accompany the issue’s monthly releases.
“The response from the community was great and people’s willingness to be involved in that sort of thing made me want to keep doing it,” Lecompte said. He also hosted live music events at venues in Waterloo such as Jane Bond, the Button Factory and the Princess Café.
Between his businesses and family, Lecompte hasn’t had much time for his own artistic DIY projects, which is why it’s important for him to hold such events. He hopes DIYDAY will inspire more people to start projects of their own.
He said, “I think, at the end of the day, people who want to create things will just do it. It might not always see the light of day, so hopefully events like this can encourage people to share their ideas.”
If interested in participating or if you have any questions about the event, you can contact Lecompte by email at princessmarc@gmail.com or join the event page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/712897265393688/
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