A Detroit-based startup that wants to make it easier for people to buy art is hosting several events across the Midwest on Saturday — including in Akron and Cleveland.
Studio Deals Midwest is a one-day event where artists in seven cities will open their studios to the public, giving people the chance to shop for art in-person. Artists in Akron, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Detroit, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan, are participating.
The event is hosted by ArtClvb, which is both an organization and an app. The goal of both is to make it easier to connect emerging artists with art collectors. Through the app, artists can upload their artwork for sale. Interested buyers can browse artists by city, price range and medium. With Studio Deals Midwest, buyers can view the artwork in person and then purchase it through the app.
The app serves emerging and early-career artists who aren’t yet getting consistent gallery shows, said ArtClvb Chief Strategy Officer Kara Barnes.
“It came from artists who were frustrated with that gap of time or gap in a career where some artists decide to stop being artists because of that case,” Barnes said.
In Cleveland, four artists are participating across three locations including 78th Street Studios and Screw Factory Artists.
Twelve Akron artists are participating in Studio Deals Midwest, and the majority of them will be at Summit Artspace downtown. (For a map of the Cleveland and Akron artists, see below this story or click here.)
ArtClvb wants to make art buying easier for new collectors
ArtClvb isn’t just for emerging artists — it’s also for emerging art collectors.
“The idea is that we would really like people who aren’t used to buying art, connecting with art and saying, ‘Actually, these are price points I can definitely afford,’” Barnes said, adding that most of the art on the app ranges from $300 to $3,000.
“People start realizing, ‘Oh, I spend that much on a purse or on a couch or whatever. I think I could afford an original work for myself,’” she said.
Akron-based artist Melih Meriç assisted ArtClvb with the planning for Akron and Cleveland. He is also participating in the event and will be at Summit Artspace. (Meriç said the organization volunteered its third floor for artists who do not have a dedicated studio space.)
Opening their studios to the public gives collectors the opportunity to see what the artists are working on, Meriç said.
“I think that, especially for collectors who get to see the artworks only in a gallery setting that is white wall, white cube, very standard art world setting, it is really nice for collectors to be able to come and feel the materials that the artists are working with,” he said.
16 artists participating in Studio Deals Midwest across Akron and Cleveland
Anna Young, another participating artist, said she appreciates the accessibility of ArtClvb. Young is the community engagement coordinator at Summit Artspace. She is one of the nine artists who will be stationed there Saturday.
“Having the work on the app, as well as being able to visit physical studio spaces, just adds a layer of accessibility that I really appreciate, which I think that a lot of people in the arts community, at least the people that I talk to, are always talking about,” she said, “how to best bridge gaps and make it easier for people to feel like they can access artists and the work.”
Studio Deals Midwest will run from noon to 5 p.m. Those planning to attend should download the ArtClvb app as all purchases will be made through the app.
The Cleveland artists participating are Jon Kvassay, Natalie Lanese, Natalie Petrosky and Meagan Smith.
Other Akron artists participating are Meryl Engler, Nyki Fetterman, Jess Fijalkovich, Arron Foster, Emily Olszewski, Eva Polzer, Robert Putka, ScribbleLegs, David Sherrill and Stephen Tornero.