Blank, white walls. I’ve seen them hundreds of times.
What’s wrong here?
What’s wrong is that we’re missing ART.
Art. We all need it to complete our homes – yet where do we get it when the budget doesn’t allow us to spend much on it?
Over the years I have noticed that some bargain retail outlets offer better mass-produced art than others. Of course, this is a subjective opinion. But that’s what you can have in a blog…
My sister and office partner, Ann Ayres, ayressteinmetz.com, is an art consultant for corporations. She advises, appraises, catalogs, reframes and installs. But she also helps me from time to time on my residential projects when there’s a call for art. She has great sources that sell strictly to people like her who then present to their clients. She also has a real grasp of what local galleries have and how much you might spend. But where do other people find their art?
I walked into Crate & Barrel the other day, and they have a whole new thrust on contemporary art. The pieces are giclee prints of original art. And all of it is huge (for that big white wall) and under $700.00.
Stretched canvases, looking really professional and original, highly colorful, and totally cool.
I also stopped in at the Old Town Triangle, which is a cornerstone of Old Town and friend to many artists. They’re having a student show this month – pastels, watercolors. Some of them quite good. Things are smaller here, but well-priced. Generally under $500 – and that’s for an original. It depends on your style, of course. But I would guess if you headed to Lill Street Studios, there are many artists there with a variety of styles who would love to sell you something. They’re always starving.
