With over 50 vendors from across the Midwest converging at the local art fair, artists and students alike showcased their creativity, transforming a community gathering into a vibrant marketplace of artistic expression and entrepreneurial spirit.
The Decatur Area Arts Council (DAAC) and Gallery 510’s annual Arts in Central Park in downtown Decatur happened this past weekend.
The two-day art fair in the central Midwest hosted about 70 vendors combined for a fun, festive weekend. Arts in Central Park is a juried art show in its 61st year, featuring artists across the Midwest selling artwork such as jewelry, paintings, pottery, and much more.
Artists’ booths were still up despite the light rainy weather this weekend.
Millikin’s student-run retail art gallery, Blue Connection, had a booth filled with jewelry, various pottery, cards, prints, and more. This year, Blue Connection experienced high foot traffic because its booth was in front of the Central Park fountain. Due to the traffic, Blue Connection successfully met their sales and learning goals for this event. With a clear goal of raising $500, the class curated their inventory with intention, selecting ceramics under $30 and easily packaged jewelry, and also including a few higher-priced items to help push past the margin. The strategy reflects an opportunity to connect with buyers who come specifically seeking art.
Blue Connection is a course that gives students hands-on experience in artwork and inventory management, marketing and outreach, and daily gallery upkeep. These tasks help Blue Connection run smoothly while giving students real-world experience in gallery operations and creative entrepreneurship. The experience emphasizes learning by doing.
“It’s not meant to be cliché, but this is exactly what James Millikin talked about, combining theory and practice,” Ed Walker, Blue Connection’s professor, said. “I live it with my students every year, because it’s real.”
Combining theory and practice isn’t optional; it’s essential. Blue Connection is one of the most hands-on, immersive parts of Millikin’s performance learning philosophy.
It teaches students what it actually means to be an artist: setting up booths, promoting their work, engaging with the public, and learning how to talk about their process and passion.
“It’s almost like we can’t not do it,” Walker said. “It’s built into the program. We can’t ignore it, and we can’t not do it, even if it is a lot of work.”
That work—hauling gear, setting up tents, and hoping for good weather—is part of the journey and part of what makes the program so impactful.
Millikin’s Blue Connection program is unique because it’s built directly into the curriculum, not just an extracurricular or end-of-year showcase like at most schools. That integration makes it special and increasingly recognized, with other institutions reaching out to learn how it’s done. The program exists because Millikin’s faculty believed in it and made it happen.
“It’s an opportunity for us as a university to get our students into the community; that’s why it’s called ‘Blue Connection,’” Professor Walker said. “We are physically connected to the Decatur Arts Council.”
This event empowers students to take ownership of their artistic journey, giving them tangible experiences they can proudly include on their resumes, whether they handle marketing, pricing, or sales. It reinforces the blend of theory and practice, showing that no matter their career path—art therapist, designer, or clinician—“artists do art.”
The experience keeps them connected to the act of creating and sharing their work, building confidence and leadership in the arts through active participation.
I went to Arts in Central Park on Sunday and met up with the Blue Connection booth to chat and see their table. Wayne Fenderson, a senior graphic design major, has been in the class for four semesters and has enjoyed the class.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Fenderson said. “I like learning about management, especially since I have my own photography business. I’ll be taking the business techniques that I learned here.”
The presence of Blue Connection at Arts in Central Park is more than just a booth. It’s a living example of Millikin’s commitment to performance learning and student leadership in the arts.
Through hands-on involvement, students are not only showcasing their creativity but also building entrepreneurial skills that will carry into their future careers.
Events like this affirm the value of integrating arts entrepreneurship into the curriculum, proving that when students are given ownership, opportunity, and support, they rise to the occasion and leave a lasting impression on their community.
