(This article was written by Steven Hughes and was featured in the October 2024 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine.)
“Oh, my God. Bill!” a person exclaimed louder than the live rock music and soundwave of August Harlingen Art Night event goers’ conversations.
The reaction came in front of Jacklynn Renteria, a criminal justice alumna from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (RGV), with her table filled with pop-culture-themed accessories like stickers and pins. In this case, Renteria showed her research skills by creating cute stickers of “Baby Bill Cipher,” a character from Disney’s Gravity Falls. A new book about the all-powerful demon arrived over the summer. It features a baby form of the beloved character garnering social media traction.
While Renteria spoke with her first customer during the August Harlingen Art Night, she packaged one of the three “Baby Bills” in a pinwheel hat, baby-blue sneakers, and holding a lollipop. Around Renteria were her plastic totes, her table, a tablecloth with her brand’s name, and her scaffolding-like display as she continued garnering sales during the night. She arrived early that art night, laughing that she was the first to set up, and sat and prepared patiently waiting for 7 p.m. to hit.
Regardless of humidity, drizzle, or cold, Renteria’s dedication to her craft transformed the criminal justice graduate into a part-time artist touring around the RGV and Texas with art, making people laugh with her whenever they see her work.
“Truth be told, I didn’t,” Renteria said when asked if she knew her brand would work in the RGV. “I had cold feet about creating my ideas into physical objects. I figured if I enjoyed it and was happy with my art, there was bound to be someone who might appreciate it, too.”
Thankfully for Renteria, the public loves her work, often selling over $100s of dollars in products during vendor markets or events having vendors. Renteria sometimes shares customers’ Instagram stories whenever they tag Renteria’s business, La La Land Market.
Though Harlingen Art Night has been Renteria’s foundational stage for La La Land Market, her work extends beyond her hometown. She’s becoming a frequent sight for the annual mini RGV Pokéfest in the autumn and was one of the first vendors for Lighthouse Matsuri, a relatively new anime-themed event at Port Isabel. However, her recent accomplishment took her beyond the RGV. With Renteria’s sweet and passionate personality, it’s no wonder she flourishes with networking. One of her art colleagues recommended that she try Tokyo X, a large anime event in Houston, and she did. After the long drive and setting up at Houston’s NRG Center, Renteria got swamped with customers, noting her sales were over $200.
La La Land Market recently celebrated its first year of tabling and two years in operations. Renteria can’t wait to see what staring into La La Land in the clouds will bring next for her art journey, making people laugh with her and her work along the way.
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