By Samuel Huntington
HaleArts Space will be holding an opening for their latest installment of $100 Art, Friday, March 4th. The event is part of an ongoing initiative that has helped kick-start the careers of many young and unknown artists while also creating excitement for a new generation of art collectors.
Hale’s affordable art sale has become a tradition for the gallery, with some of their more experienced artists also commissioning pieces for the sale to add to the buzz.
It’s a sacrifice that artists are often willing to give, to build name recognition and to gain further exposure in group shows which take place throughout the year, where paintings are sold at a higher price point, according to the gallery.
The $100 Art Sale is in its fifth year and has so far offered a net benefit to the gallery in the form of customer loyalty and foot traffic.
“We helped a local architect with a $100 painting. Since then he has become a regular at our openings and has grown quite a collection from our artists,” explained HaleArts Space Sales Manager Caitlin McInnes.
“His collection is a great example of how the program can work,” McInnes said.
Betsy Enzensberger, an exhibiting artist who also works at the gallery as an artistic associate has contributed art to the $100 Art Sale on numerous occasions. She told The Mirror that the event is as an opportunity to keep her work in front of art collectors while also helping to support the mission of the gallery.
Enzensberger said that she enjoys working for HaleArts because of the positive environment that exists inside the gallery. “Some galleries are driven by egos and some are driven by drugs. Fortunately, that doesn’t exist here,” Enzensberger explained.
“The best thing an artist can do is to feel supported and encouraged to want to make art and that’s what we try to do.” Enzensberger said, adding that working with artists is rewarding as it is challenging due to the sensitive nature of the artist’s work and the anxiety that comes along with its creation.
Most of HaleArts Space’s clientele are local to the community and much of the subject matter reflects local beach culture and marine life. Some of the artists on display for the $100 Art Sale include Betsy Enzensberger, Kurisutin Lopusnak, and Azaarn Irilia, presenting a collection of broad offerings across a variety of media.
For more information about the gallery and the sale head to halearts.com.
