What is The Mind Buffet? 

The Mind Buffet is a retail shop and maker space for Methow Valley youth. The retail shop sells products from area youth, such as candles, artwork, and jewelry. The maker space holds workshops. We’re located at 158B Riverside Avenue, next to the French Quail boutique and across from Farmers  State Bank. We’re open daily, after school, from 3 to 6 PM. 

What is the Young Artist program? 

The Methow Valley is home to many incredible, talented young artists. The Mind Buffet is a place where these artists can sell their goods in the retail shop and attend (and teach!) workshops. Some items we sell include homemade candles, soap, lip gloss, art. We are open to all of your ideas!  

Tell me about who is behind this! 

You can read about our story here.

What is expected of me as a Young Artist? 

We invite young artists (< 18 years old) in the Methow Valley to sell their products at the Mind Buffet. We’re ask that you

• Respond to emails and requests for information in a timely fashion 

• Attend a monthly artist call where we share how the business is going and hear your ideas, needs, and feedback 

• Share your  participation with friends, family, the community and on social media

• Bring inspiring, uplifting, and creative energy

• Contribute ideas for workshops, programming, new skills, and other artists. This space is here to serve and support your dreams! 

• Consider working  a shift or two at our shop after you’ve spent time in the space 

How does the money part work? How do I get paid? 

After you’re accepted to sell your work you’ll fill out the Youth Vendor Form and then drop off your items with the prices you choose. We’ll send you an invoice that lists all of your items. The mind buffet retains 30%  of the sale + state and local taxes price (about 8% we add on) and you get the remaining 70%. We’ll issue a check at the end of every month.  (So if you list a $10 candle, we’ll sell it for $10.80. We keep $3.80 and you get $7).

How do I connect with other artists?  

We hold monthly artist calls at 2 PM the last Wednesday of each month to share sales numbers with you, share ideas, and get feedback. We’re also hoping you’ll come to the space as often as you’d like! 

I have an idea but I need help developing my business and learning more about how all of this works. 

Yeah, starting a business is hard but really rewarding! Email us and we can set up a time to talk through your idea and support your dream with adult business owners or other young artists. We’ll be hosting Business 101 workshops soon. 

What about COVID-19? 

We take safety seriously. Masks are required at all times in the workshop space, and we limit occupancy to 8 people at a time (the space is about 700 square feet). We clean and sanitize the space after each use. A parent/guardian of workshop attendees is asked to read and sign a liability waiver. 

Are you ready to join us? 

Super! Just fill out the Youth Artist Vendor Form. It’ll take about 10 minutes to fill out and we’ll be in touch with you soon.

Do you have questions? 

Please reach out to  us at themindbuffet@gmail.com.