The inventory of finished work in an art studio can be overwhelming, especially if you’re a prolific artist. If it’s less than my best work I’ll often recycle it, paint or collage over old canvases. Give them new life. Or I’ll throw on some gesso and donate the used canvases to an art program like the one where I teach. Trust me, we appreciate donations of canvases, used or not. As long as they’re in decent condition they’re fine for student work. And you don’t even need to gesso it, we’ll do that for you.
If it’s something I don’t want my name on and the materials can’t be recycled, then I’ll simply chuck it.
But there are times you don’t want to do that. Maybe you have a series of images that, for one reason or another, just haven’t sold. Or a stack of prints that have been sitting there. There’s nothing wrong with them but they’re taking up valuable real estate, space you could use for something else. Something new.
Because it’s time to move on.
You could hold a studio clearance sale but there’s a valid argument against that. A drastic reduction of prices reduces the perceived value of your work within the community. If someone bought a painting for full price, whatever your price may be, and saw you selling similar work for less, maybe considerably less, later on, do you think they’ll be so quick to pay your full price again?
I don’t think so.
Unless… you turn it into a good thing. Puts a different spin on it entirely. My friend LeeAnn Brook did that last weekend. She opened her studio for a special sale, “From the Heart” Small Works Charity Studio Sale. She reduced prices on selected work by 30-50%. And then she donated 100% of the sale of those works to Women of Worth, a local charity that helps women escape domestic violence. I’ll say it again, 100%.
It was a win-win situation. In a few hours she raised over $1,200 dollars. Money that will stay in the community helping women and children who desperately need it. People who purchased art got a great deal and a sense that they were contributing to a good cause, especially as checks were written directly to Women of Worth.
LeeAnn reduced her inventory without damaging the value of her work. Even better, she got the satisfaction of knowing what she did would have a positive impact on the lives of others.
She did good, yes indeed she did.
A very good thing indeed! And I commend the local paper for bringing this event to everyone’s attention. And it helps spread her name around.
So while we are sorta on the topic. I purged my studio last summer. Got the name of the head of the art department of a close-by high school and sent them an email. Told them I was cleaning out and had many, many things of interest that I would think they would be want; oddles of pastel pads, matt boards, all kinds of art materials. She should send over a couple of kids to pick the stuff up. Only one stipulation – that they prearrange a time and day so I could be ready for them and have the dogs closed up into a separate room. Never heard back from her. I was soooo upset. With all of the budget cuts to art departments, I would have thought this person would be very happy with the goods. My daughter chastised me for not contacting others. She is right. I should have, but in the haze of cleaning out big time, I just wanted to get on with the job. I regret that decision now and won’t let it happen again when I move. I cleared out over 14 50-gallon bags filled with Stuff. And that doesn’t account for the things I sold on Ebay.
Donna–good for you for purging. I’m sorry your experience with the donation. I wouldn’t be surprised if she lost your contact info–wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.
I’m sitting in my living room as I’m writing this and thinking my studio isn’t the only thing I want to purge!