Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia D’Amico.
Olivia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am from Bradenton, Florida which was once a drive by town for most people on their way to Tampa/St. Pete or Sarasota. Nestled in-between the two places many creatives and musicians have left to the larger cities to create their businesses and dreams. Loving this area our local businesses, beaches, and the people I never wanted to leave.
Two years ago, I co-founded Kinspoke with my partner Liz Taylor after working together as designers for five years… Each of us being classically trained graphic designers, we loved integrating different mediums into what we created. From their Kinspoke was formed. We started working with florals as we began designing large installation pieces with different mixes of flowers, plants, metals, wood, and different fine art mediums.
After about a year we realized what we really wanted to do was build a community of thriving artists, makers, and creatives while giving opportunity to people outside those categories the opportunity to engage with that art.
We started hosting workshops and doing bloom bars at different coffee shops and restaurants (bloom bars are where people can design and build their own floral arrangement). This allowed us to meet our community and find other like-minded individuals.
Working with the owners Keith Nasewicz and Ben Greene of the coffee shop Oscura in Downtown Bradenton gave us an opportunity to start something our city needed. The Friendly City Flea began with the desire to join our community together. I found myself driving an hour to visit artist fleas and see music and I realized we could have this here in Bradenton. I knew the people were here who wanted to support artist and I knew the artist were driving to these other cities to sell and share their creations. Musicians I knew were finding work everywhere else and had no place to play. So together we decided we would create this place. Friendly City Flea began in February of this year and we are already seeing our community come together. People coming to support the local artists and makers creating entire businesses around their work where they didn’t have the space to before. I want nothing more than to see people use their gifts and talents to make beautiful things while bringing people together to enjoy it.
We are now starting our next season on August 31 at our first night market from 6pm-10pm.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think the largest obstacle came from within. I began wondering if this was something people would come to or if I was able to do it with the no money and little resources we had. Everything has come out of our pockets with these projects. But quickly I remembered that there was a reason I felt like I had this on my heart to do. I remembered my friends who were talented makers and had stories to tell that others needed to hear. So with that, I made sure I didn’t let what I thought other people would say or think stop me from moving forward with these ideas.
The people around me are incredible as well. This community is so strong and supportive of one another and because of them everything is possible. Yeah, we run into things here and there but for me all I can see is what this is doing for our city and how much more we can do. I want people to have a place to belong and know that at Friendly City Flea they have a family. The people attending and our vendor family have a safe place to create, play, and know one another.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Friendly City Flea + Kinspoke – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
With Kinspoke and the Friendly City Flea, I am most proud of how each one has brought our community together and how it has helped other people create their business. There is nothing more exciting than people starting their business at Friendly City Flea (FCF) and watching them grow. We have built a community of collaboration that continues to grow. I couldn’t be prouder to work with people who genuinely care about people over profit and community over competition. Our vendors support one another and buy for each other. There isn’t another group of people I would want to work with.
One of my favorite things one of my vendors told us earlier this year was that she didn’t want to go to other markets because there was something different here. That people were kind to each other and helped one another instead of competing. I left after she told me that and realized this is exactly what Ben and I wanted when we started Friendly City Flea.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
With Kinspoke we are reimagining who we are as a business. We are thinking of new ways to hold creative workshops, branding education, storytelling and engagement with the community.
With Friendly City Flea we want to continue to grow with more creative vendors, greater focus on live music, installation and live art, and one day a collaborative studio/brick and mortar in Downtown Bradenton.
Contact Info:
- Website: Friendlycityflea.com and kinspoke.com
- Email: olivia@kinspoke.com
- Instagram: @kinspoke and @friendlycityflea
- Facebook: @friendlycityflea @kinspoke
Image Credit:
Olivia D’Amico, Jessica Bender, Joey Monetti
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