The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) spearheaded “Creator’s Fair,” where students and faculty of DLS-CSB’s Industrial Design (BS-ID) program displayed and sold their work to the College’s widespread creative community on March 6 at the 12/F Cafeteria of the Design and Art (D+A) Campus.
Through the fair, MCAD aimed to show the diverse range of works produced within the program while encouraging engagement between creators and the wider Benilde community.
A marketplace for the arts
The fair transformed the D+A cafeteria into a vibrant marketplace with booths displaying a variety of handmade and experimental products—from paintings and handbound journals to customizable 3D-printed trinkets. The event provided creators a platform not only to present their work but also to interact with fellow creatives.
Nick Neri, an ID124 student from BS-ID, shared in an interview with The Benildean that he was invited by his teachers to participate in the fair after they saw the notebooks he had already been creating. Growing up without easy access to expensive sketchbooks, Neri learned to create his own. What began as a practical solution eventually became a refined skill.
For many of the participants, the Industrial Design program played a significant role in shaping how they approach making and designing products. Cinna Co, an ID124 student from BS-ID, shared with The Benildean that the design classes they take encouraged them to look at art and product creation from multiple perspectives. “Because there's many different ways to make products and different design philosophies. So, when I put that into my own work, it kind of helps me give a baseline to see solutions to problems that I might have not seen before.”
Ms. Mary Lei Nobleza, a faculty member from BS-ID who participated in the fair with her landscape paintings, shared in an interview with The Benildean how events like this create opportunities for mentorship and learning. Growing up surrounded by nature, Ms. Nobleza often paints natural scenery to reflect her appreciation for the environment.
For her, participating in the fair is also about encouraging students to explore their passions and understand that design can extend beyond academics and into creative entrepreneurship.
Meanwhile, Kevin Lim, an ID124 student from BS-ID, showcased customizable 3D-printed fidget clickers, shared with The Benildean that he was inspired by the need for small tools to help students—particularly those with ADHD—focus better while working. Lim shared that the Industrial Design program encourages creative freedom and experimentation, with his products featuring fun colors that help bring out your inner child.
Inspiring a community
Visitors of the fair found themselves surrounded by a diverse range of products. Angela Lim, an ID125 student from the Architecture (BS-ARCH) program shared with The Benildean how the booths caught her attention while she was passing by the cafeteria. Seeing students sell their creations, “I think it's good that students get to express and showcase their products and be able to profit from it.”
Lim also shared how the event changed her perception on Industrial Design as a field. “I thought industrial design was like engineering–big machines… But you can see that they can make figurines and things that children can play with.”
Another attendee, Farrell Yupano, an ID125 student from the Film (AB-FILM) program appreciated the variety of products available, “Usually with booths like this, they only sell stickers and prints, but here there's a lot of variety. There's handmade sketch pads and 3D printed figures and I think that's really cool,” he shared in an interview with The Benildean.
More than just a marketplace, the Creator’s Fair served as a celebration of creativity within the College’s vibrant art community. For both creators and visitors, the fair ultimately became a space for inspiration—encouraging more people to experiment with their ideas, share their passions, and continue creating.
