Art Consignment Shop Set to Open in Hall Building
Artists looking to showcase and sell their work will soon be given a platform to do so on the mezzanine level of Concordia’s Hall building.
A university-funded art consignment shop will open its doors to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The space is under the jurisdiction of Sabrina Lavoie, VP Services at the university. Lavoie is attempting to give “exposure and opportunities” to student artists.
“Following some discussions with the fine arts faculty, we decided to do an art consignment shop so that fine arts students could put their artwork for sale,” she explained.
“It would give them a real life experience, and at the same time the community would see their nice work.”
The space has been used in the past as a computer store, and as a farmers market—both have since been relocated.
Sarah Pupo, coordinator for the pilot project, believes that the shop will serve to give a “second life” to the work of fine arts students. According to her, artists in the department tend to stockpile and get rid of their class work.
“It’s a platform for them to get a little exposure and also hopefully make a little bit of money,” Pupo said.
The shop will be selling paintings and drawings, along with jewellery, sculptures, clothing, photos and other trinkets. All solicited works will be original student-made pieces.
Prices for the art will range from $3 for small drawings, to $500 for the larger paintings.
“There’s something for everyone. Even if you can’t afford a big painting, there are definitely a lot of treasures to be found,” Pupo said.
Once the space for the shop was secured, there was a call for art submissions, which required the creation of a student-run selection committee to sift through the pieces and decide which ones would be on display. They received over 100 submissions from fine arts students.
The committee mostly rejected pieces due to spacing issues, according to Pupo. There was also some concern over showcasing art on organic, easily degradable material.
“We didn’t want to take anything too fragile,” she said.
Artists will receive 70 per cent of the revenue from sales, and the other 30 per cent will be for the store, Lavoie explained.
Money kept by the shop will be used to pay their employees, and will cover any expenses that the store must incur. The project was not very costly, she explained.
“It’s a very minor operation,” Lavoie said.She reiterated that it’s a pilot project, and is not meant to be a permanent operation.
“We’re going to see how it goes, and after Christmas we’re going to re-adjust and see.”
_600_375_90_s_c1.jpg)
__thumb_600_375_90_s_c1.JPG)
