9-year-old Ag Fair winner starts online store

The drawing of Vineyard Haven resident Milo Agnew, 9, titled “Cape Made of Cod,” has become something of an icon on the Island.

Milo’s work, which he entered into the Island’s 161st Agricultural Fair, featured a drawing of a boy with dark hair wearing a red shirt, blue pants, and a cape made out of fish.

Initially, the piece did not place in the fair this year. But support and popular demand for Milo’s design grew so much that his mom, Kelley DeBettencourt, decided to open a Printify online store with merchandise printed with his designs. 

She says there have already been more than 50 orders, and the website has only been live for a week, since the Monday after the fair. Orders have come from destinations as far away as Alaska. 

“Milo is absolutely thrilled,” DeBettencourt said. 

The hype over the design started at the fair, and then grew with a social media post. “On Facebook, it pops up on the feed, and he had hundreds of people posting, liking, and commenting,” DeBettencourt said. 

After the post, Milo’s work won the voted-upon People’s Choice Award at the Ag Fair, as well as an amended award status to honorable mention, which came with a light blue ribbon. 

Adults and kids were so “tickled” with his artwork, as DeBettencourt put it, and requesting merchandise, that the Printify store was a no-brainer. The Milo Store merchandise options, featuring Milo’s now-copyrighted clever design, include cards, mugs, clothing, playing cards, magnets, pillows, tote bags, and more. 

According to his mom, it was Milo’s younger sister — 6-year-old Kira — who first came up with the idea of drawing a cod fish with a cape. Milo then flipped the concept and did his version.

“I had nothing to do with it, which I just love,” said DeBettencourt. “I am so grateful for the support he’s been getting.” 

“I’m really excited, and really proud,” said Milo. He plans to keep on creating art. 

This isn’t the first time the Agnew kids have entered and placed in the fair. Milo and Kira have been entering artwork in the fair for a few years already. 

And their mother is a self-proclaimed “art kid” and professional photographer here on Island. 

“The kids have been inundated with art and creating from a very young age,” DeBettencourt said. She said apart from drawing, they also practice sewing and needlework, including making homemade stuffed animals. 

Aside from the “Cape Made of Cod” piece, this year Milo won a first-place blue ribbon for his photography, as well as the Fern and Feather Award, according to DeBettencourt. Kira also earned a special award for her needlework, the Emma McKay Hall Needlework Award, which typically goes to someone in the 20-to-25 age group, and comes with a $50 prize. 

According to DeBettencourt, both kids spent their fair winnings at Brickman’s in Vineyard Haven. 

As for the Milo Store, DeBettencourt plans to put proceeds from sales toward the kids’ college funds. “I’m happy with it right now. We are just enjoying Milo’s little wave of notoriety,” said DeBettencourt. “We’ll see what happens.” 

Check out the Milo Store here: https://the-milo-store.printify.me/products. Kelley DeBettencourt is the owner of Kelley DeBettencourt Photography. She is married to Ezra Agnew.