Author Archives: Casey Rankin

Christopher Jones art show at Eat at Jumbo’s

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We are pleased to announce a new show currently running at Eat at Jumbo’s in Ball Square, Somerville.  The show features the work of Christopher Jones, a local Boston artist.

Christopher Jones’ artwork is vibrant, expressive and thoughtfully detailed. As a collective whole, his work conveys freedom of movement, spontaneity and a hectic playfulness. Using mediums like acrylic paint and marker, his emotions seem to translate onto paper, creating unique and visually explosive pieces.

To view all of the pieces of artwork online, visit the Eat at Jumbo’s show page.



Allston “Rock City” Art Tour

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Saturday October 15, 2011
10:00am to 8:00pm

ArtVenue is pleased to announce we are sponsoring the first Allston “Rock City” Art Tour put on by Allston Village Main Streets. For one day, October 15th, the shops of Allston Village will host the art of local Allston artists.  The deadline for artists submissions is October 8th.  Artists must either work or live in Allston. Artists can signup at http://www.artvenue.com/allstonvillage or if you are already an ArtVenue member, click on the “Allston Art Tour” tab once you are logged in.

Currently there 18 local businesses hosting art work in the tour with more being added. Venues include:

  • 379 Club
  • Refuge Cafe
  • Douglas Paul Real Estate
  • Bravo Pizza
  • Commonground
  • Stingray Bodyart
  • Orchard Skateshop
  • Boston Kabob
  • Tavern in the Square
  • Ritual Arts
  • In House Cafe
  • @Union Cafe
  • Artful Edge Framing
  • Garlic n’ Lemons
  • Kim’s Luggage
  • Green Side Up Gallery
  • Buffalo Exchange
  • Mr. Music

There will be raffle prizes and a great after party at Wonderbar.

View the full details on Facebook event

How to Price Art

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Photo from artdc.com

Pricing art is extremely difficult.  Many artists feel deciding on a price for a work is more daunting than creating it!  If you’re struggling with what to charge for art you’ve made, here are a few schools of thought to get you started:

Hourly Wage Method

Particularly appropriate for emerging artists, one popular pricing method is taking a look at the hours involved in creating the artwork as well as the cost of supplies. The first step is to determine what you believe is a fair value for 1 hour of your time.  This can be anywhere from 10 dollars an hour to more than 100 an hour. Next, track how many hours you spent creating the piece of artwork as well how much you spent on the supplies.  Multiply the numbers of hours spent by the hourly wage you would like to collect.  Next take that number and add the cost of supplies.  After you have calculated your the cost of your time and supplies together, increase that amount by 30%.  This 30% is the commission that the seller will be taking for selling your work.

Example:
Hourly wage: $20
Amount of hours: 6
Cost of supplies: $25

( Hourly wage x Amount of hours + Cost of Supplies )  + 30%
$20 x 6 + $25 = $145 + $43 = $188

Square Inch Method

Photo by Matt Weber

Another popular method involves basing the price on the size of the painting in order to keep your prices consistently through your body of work.  This is done by calculating the price per square inch of surface area.  You can determine this price by dividing the price of a painting that sold at a price you were comfortable with, or by using the following simple formula.  Determine the price per square inch based on your experience level, multiply this number by the number of inches in your painting, and add the cost of the materials used.  You should increase the cost of the materials used by the amount of commission the seller is taking (in the case of ArtVenue, 30%) so you aren’t losing money on the supplies.

Example:
Price per square inch: $0.50
Size of Canvas: 16 x 20 = 320 sq inches.
Cost of supplies: $25

Price per square inch x Number of sq inches + ( Cost of supplies + 30% )
$0.50 x 320 = $160 + $25 + $7 = $192

Analyze the Market

Photo from MyArtShedIf you are not comfortable using a formula to calculate an appropriate price for your work, another way to determine an appropriate price is to analyze your market.  Do your research to find an artist you believe your work is comparable to in quality that is selling well and also is at the same stage in his artistic career as you are.  You can leverage their prices to determine what the market is willing to pay.  Keep in mind, this isn’t a guaranteed way to succeed in your pricing strategy, many other aspects could be influencing the fact that their work is selling and yours isn’t.

Things to keep in mind once you have determined a pricing strategy:

  • Don’t let your emotions get involved in your pricing, it will lead you to have an inconsistent pricing strategy.
  • Stay consistent with the pricing throughout your body of work.
  • Keep in mind that medium as well as size play a part in pricing.
  • Price for the environment around you.  Customers at a coffee shop will not be willing to pay as much as customers in an established art gallery.
What do you think is the best way to price your art? Respond in the comments section below!

How to Hang Artwork

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Whether you are hanging art in your home or hanging art in a venue, you want to be sure you are hanging it using the right tools that won’t damage the wall and will be able to support your artwork.  Here are some of the most popular methods to hang artwork:

Nail and Picture Hook

Using a nail and picture hook is the most common way of hanging art.  If the painting weighs more than 25lbs, you will want to use a stud finder to find a locate a stud on the wall.  Mark the spot with a pencil.  Hammer the nail into the wall, attaching the picture hook.  There are an assortment of different picture hooks available that are capable of supporting different weights.  The more nails the hook requires, the higher the load it can support.  The hooks pictured to the left are are available at Blick and support a weights from 10lbs to 75lbs depending on the number of nails required.

Pros: Quick installation, Inexpensive solution
Cons: Leaves holes in walls, Limited weight support, Requires a stud in wall to support more than 25lbs

For more information, see “How to Hang a Picture” at ehow.com

3m Hooks

3m Hooks are becoming more and more popular because they do not damage the wall at all.  They use a special adhesive that is easy to remove without leaving residue or damaging the wall.  They are only suitable for hanging paintings that way less than 5 lbs.  Since they are limited to single use, they can get some what expensive if you are swapping out the art in your venue or home regularly

Pros: Do not damage wall, Easy to remove
Cons: Can only support up to albs, Can get expensive if moving art often

For more information, see “How to Install: 3m Command Hooks” 

Threaded Drywall Anchor or Toggle Bolt

When hanging heavy paintings into dry wall without a proper stud, using a threaded drywall anchor or toggle bolt can be an appropriate solution. Installing either of these will require pre-drilling a hole in the wall.  If the artwork being hung is very heavy, we recommend using the toggle bolt. Toggle bolts are extremely strong.  Even a small 1/8″ toggle can safely hold 50lbs on 1/2″ drywall and a 3/8″ toggle can hold over 100lbs.

Pros: Can hang very heavy artwork in drywall without a stud
Cons:  Leave a large hole in wall, Difficult to install

For more information, see “How to Hang Heavy Objects Using Toggle Bolts” at youtube.com

Rail Art Hanging System

If you are serious about displaying artwork in your home or venue, an art hanging system is the clear choice for you. These rails systems require an initial one-time installation, but then artwork can be swapped out easily with no tools or damage.  The  art hanging systems consist of a rail that is attached to the wall, wires to hang from the rail, and hooks that attach to the wires.  After much research, we like the Cliprail Pro Art Hanging System distributed by Quadro Frames.  They are extremely easy to install, inexpensive, and it is a breeze to swap out artwork.  We recommend all of the venues that are a part of the ArtVenue network install this hanging system.

Pros:  Easy and quickly swap out artwork, No need to repurchase hanging materials, no damage to walls, can support heavy artwork
Cons: Higher up front cost, more involved installation

For more information, see “Cliprail Pro System” at ArtHangingCenter.com

Video: What is an art hanging system?

YouTube Preview Image

What method of hanging have you had the best results with? Respond in the comments section below!

Blick Art Materials opens in Cambridge

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Blick Art Materials Central SquareBlick Art Materials is now open in Central Square in Cambridge, MA.  The new address is 619 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA, 02139.  Blick Art Materials is the second art supply store in the Central Square area.  Before Blick Art Materials joined the neighborhood, the only art store was Artist & Craftsman Supply.

Blick Grand Opening EventBlick is celebrating their grand opening on September 8th at 10am.  The event features a ribbon cutting ceremony at 12pm and an afternoon of live art, demos, food, fun and live music.  The first 100 guests at 9am will receive a gift loaded with art materials, valued at $100.

Here is the demo schedule for the month of September:

September 8th
10am – 1pm: Gamblin demo
1pm – 4pm: Holbein demo
4pm – 7pm: Chartpak demo

September 9th
1pm – 4pm: Crescent demo
4pm – 7pm: Golden demo

September 10th:
10am – 1pm: Copic demo
4pm – 7pm: Chroma demo

September 11th
1pm – 4pm: Polyform demo

September 13th
10am – 1pm: Ink Press demo

September 14th
10am – 1pm: Strathmore demo

Hope to see you at the grand opening event!

Let us know what you think about the store in the comments below.

 

Graffiti and Contemporary Art Lecture at the MFA

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Photo by Risk

If the evolution of graffiti and its shift of context from street art to museum interests you, you will not want to miss this lecture! Roger Gastman, the author of “Art on the Streets,” Jen Mergel, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, and Caleb Neelon, artist and author of “The History of American Graffiti,” and Risk, street artist, will be speaking at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on September 25th at 2pm.  Tickets are $15 for members and $18 for non-members and are through MFA ticketing.  Details from the MFA event page:

Explore graffiti’s dynamic history, from its underground origins to its mainstream emergence. Artist Risk discusses his work and the evolution of graffiti as an art form in Los Angeles and worldwide. Caleb Neelon and Roger Gasman discuss their new book The History of American Graffiti , examining graffiti’s place in the realm of contemporary art. As its context shifts from street to museum, Jen Mergel asks speakers about shifting perceptions of graffiti, from unpopular to popular, illegal to celebrated, over the past 40 years.

 

Book signing with Neelon and Gastman follows.

 

Be sure to catch a screening of the film Wild Style (1983) as part of our Evolution of Graffiti day.

 

Purchase Tickets
Online: using the link in the red box
By phone: call the MFA Ticket line at 1-800-440-6975
In person: at any MFA ticketing desk

Ticketing desk hours: Mon, Tue, Sat, and Sun, 10 am–4:15 pm; and Wed–Fri, 10 am–9:15 pm

How to Ship Art Safely

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The internet allows artists to reach a worldwide audience.  But once you’ve sold a work online, how do you ensure that your art is delivered to the customer safely and damage-free?  Here are some guidelines to follow on how to ship art:

PACKAGING

Art wrapped in glassine

Pre-wrap
Start by wrapping the artwork with glassine or acid free tissue paper.  This will prevent any damage from condensation that could occur while in transit.

 

 

Bubble wrapped art

Image courtesy of jenniferyoung.com

Padding / Boxing
After your artwork is wrapped to prevent condensation, you will want to surround the artwork with padding. This can be in the form of bubble wrap, peanuts, or wadded paper. If using bubble wrap, be sure not to have the bubbles facing the artwork, this could lead to indentations. The key is to make sure that the artwork is not moving at all when in the shipping box. You can find all the boxes required for shipping as well as other packing supplies at ULINE. Their prices seem to be the best on the internet.

Taping
Use packing tape, either clear or brown packaging tape to cover all seams in the box, this will prevent any damage from moisture while being transported.

Labeling
Clearly label your box with both “Ship To” and “Ship From” addresses.  You will also want
 to label your package as “FRAGILE.”  Another helpful tip is to label the end of the package that the purchaser should open first.

SHIPPING

Insurance
It is extremely important to purchase additional insurance from the carrier you choose. ArtVenue requires all sellers to purchase this insurance.  Insurance is offered by most major carriers, including UPS, and Fedex, and is very affordable.

UPS prices
Declared Value                        Declared Value Fees
$0.00 – $100.00                       Free
$100.01 – $50,000.00              $0.75 for each $100 with a minimum charge of $2.25

FedEx prices
Declared Value                       Declared Value Fees
$0.00 – $100.00                      Free
$100.01 – $1000                     $0.75 for each $100 over $100 with a minimum of $2.25

Require Signature
To ensure the intended recipient receives the artwork, we instruct sellers to require a signature from the purchaser upon delivery. This decreases the chance of theft or damage, both events that are most likely to occur if the package is left unattended. Requiring a signature with UPS or FedEx is an additional $3.25 per package but well worth it.

Tracking
Both UPS and FedEx will provide you with tracking numbers when shipping. It’s a relief to know right away that the customer has received their artwork. ArtVenue requires sellers to provide us with the tracking number so we know when to pay the seller.

OTHER OPTIONS

If you are worried about properly packaging and shipping your artwork, you might want to consider visiting the UPS Store and using their full service packaging services.

Ship Art

Introduction to Printmaking Class at the MFA

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Print by Instructor Wayne Kleppe.

Ever had the desire to learn printmaking? Now is your chance! The Museum of Fine Arts is hosting a 2-day adult education class taught by Wayne Kleppe.  The crash course will cover the basic printmaking techniques including monoprint, relief, and dry point.  All students will be creating original works!  The 2-day, 8-hour class costs $180 for MFA members and $216 for non members.  Tickets are available for purchase at the MFA website.   Info from the event page:

Two-Day Workshop: Saturday, Sept 10 and Sunday, Sept 11,  10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Workshop Description: A crash course in learning basic printmaking techniques, such as monoprint, relief, and drypoint. Discuss master prints, participate in classroom discussions, and with technical guidance, create original works.
Instructor: Wayne Kleppe

Wayne Kleppe received his BFA from Tufts University in 2010 and his diploma from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the same year. After completing his undergraduate degrees, he was invited to act as a visiting professional printer at Artist Proof Studio, Johannesburg, South Africa, where he collaborated with William Kentridge, Andrew Lindsay, Kim Berman, and Dumi Mabaso. His most recent group exhibitions include “Current Work” at Grub St. in Boston; “DAC 33rd Annual Juried Exhibition” at the Durango Arts Center in Durango, CO; “Rerun 2” at Heaven Gallery in Chicago; and “Exchange,” a traveling group show (Antwerp, Belgium; Edinburgh, Scotland; Bloomfield Hills, MI; Boston, MA). He has also been an Artist-in-Residence at the Frans Masereel Centrum in Kasterlee, Belgium (’09).

Have you taken any classes at the Museum of Fine Arts? Know of any other exciting classes being offered in Boston? Respond in the comments below!

Lex McDermott art show at BerryLine Fenway

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We are pleased to announce a new show currently running at BerryLine Fenway, the popular frozen yogurt shop.  The show features the work of Lex McDermott, a local Boston artist.

To view all of the pieces of artwork online, visit the BerryLine art show page.

We have shows at many more local businesses in the works and are excited to announce them soon!


ArtVenue Presents: "Built in Boston" Artist Reception

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Our opening reception for “Built in Boston” at WorkBar Boston was a great success.  Big thanks to High & Mighty Beer for the delicious beverages, True Sound for the great sound system, and WorkBar for being such a gracious host!

Photos are posted on our Facebook page

The show featured the Artistic work of:

Ryan DiCicco

A lifelong Massachusetts resident, Ryan currently resides in Boston, MA. He has been shooting various subjects from local bands, to corporate events for the past 7 years, however finds his true passion in photography to lie in capturing the world we live in. He aims to capture the vibrancy of the world around us and attempts to show us places we have all seen and know in a new light. Focusing on both the urban setting of Boston as well as the scenic vistas of New England’s country and coast , Ryan spends his time traveling the Northeast in search of engaging and interesting shots. More of his work can be seen on his New England photography blog www.rpdphoto.blogspot.com.

Tobias Hathorn

A young man who grew up in the Midwest and replanted in Boston. Tobias is an architect/artist who shows work in coffee shops, bars and internets. He has taken a technical sense of composition and color, then added a natural predilection for whimsy. The majority of his work is built up on found wood or paper; a decision the artist makes to embody the organic and abstract process of death and rebirth.

DS Mangus

A Boston-based artist, Dereck is deeply inspired by the built environment, especially the many construction and renovation projects that Boston has undergone over the past few years. Subjects that capture his imagination include buildings under construction, floor plans, squares, and other found forms of the urban landscape.

Mangus’ work cleverly synthesizes his experiences with and knowledge of visual art and environmental studies, both of which he studied as an undergrad at UMass Boston. He is currently employed at the Gardner Museum while he completes his Masters Thesis on “The Square and the Grid in Western Visual Culture” (a working title) at Harvard University.