VIRTUAL New Schools of Thought

Abstract

This paper explores the idea of whether the physical store is a thing of the past through a sabbatical project which culminates in the creation of a marketplace in New Albany, Indiana, to support local artisans, designers, and graphic design students from a local university. By the time the project unfolded on March 15, 2024, a store totaling 1,200 sq. ft. of space had been secured in downtown New Albany. The project is multi-faceted, providing opportunities for the primary researcher to gain insights into managing the logistical and marketing aspects of operating a physical store and, more importantly, for his current and former students to apply their skillsets beyond the classroom and gain valuable experience. As a result of this initiative, a total of four exhibitions and 22 artisans congregated in a marketplace and gallery space that served as a platform to sell their creations, promote community engagement, and foster economic growth within the local creative sector. Data collected through this activity suggests that the realization of a space that combines artistry in crafts for student entrepreneurship is possible. Graphic design students can play a catalytic role in facilitating the transfer of knowledge learned from classrooms into a marketplace. This, in turn, has propelled the creation of a core assignment into a senior-level graphic design course in the spring semester of 2024.