Awesome Con’s Artist Gallery was Groundbreaking!

Commentary and photo by Paris Murray.

I had the pleasure of attending Awesome Con on Saturday, March 9th at the Convention Center and it was an amazing time! Awesome Con is an annual anime and manga convention in Washington, DC that brings nerds together for an art gallery, gaming arcade, and other amazing events for three days. I especially enjoyed the artist gallery, buying thirty five dollars worth of art for myself, if not more. The convention in itself, has so many things to see, and I’d recommend everyone go next year.

The artist gallery was huge, and artists were selling everything from keychains to plushies, stickers, prints, and accessories. I noticed a lot of the artists were especially happy when I asked if I could take pictures of their setup and art. They don’t often get asked this. Instead, most people just buy from them. It was honestly so fun seeing their faces light up as I asked them more about their art and to take photographs.

A few artists actually stood out to me. One man was doing tattoos and his designs were actually lego inspired, which I found interesting. I saw another artist I actually recognized from Pinterest and I bought a beautiful Madoka print from her! People had crochet bags and plushies, homemade enamel pins, stickers, and even paper theaters. There was even a quiz wheel at a table and, when you answered a question about the anime franchise correctly, you got a free sticker and candy. I thought what was really interesting were the amount of expensive big branded figurines being resold along with Funko Pop figures. There was also an anime dance battle going on with people who were in cosplay hitting their best dance moves on a stage along with their best combat moves. It was especially nice seeing so many people who essentially are strangers enjoying themselves and coming together. It could've been seen as weird, especially if you had no idea what was happening, but they were enjoying themselves and the convention was a judgment-free zone. 

All in all, Awesome Con was a very fun and insightful experience. There’s truly something for everyone there. Whether it's gaming, meeting voice actors that made your childhood (or adulthood), or just buying cute art and supporting a small business, you’ll never be bored. If that's not your style, it's also a good networking experience. Definitely, get your tickets for Awesome Con, 2025!

Paris Murray is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.