Saturday, November 25, 2006

+ GALLERY TO ATTEND ART MIAMI IN JANUARY of 2007

    Many of our friends and associates already know about our pending debut at Art Miami 2007, we found out a couple of months back that we had been selected for inclusion in the invitational "SLICE" section of the fair, allowing us to attend with select artists and at a discounted rate. This invitational was created by Art Miami organizers to showcase artists that are provocative and new to the international market, and we could not be more thrilled and honored to be included alongside three other galleries from Mexico, Dominican Republic and the United States who are featured in this section.
    The opportunity to exhibit comes at a key time for the gallery, as one of our main goals for the year was to be accepted into one of the major art-fairs in a progressive contemporary market. Many have already confused the fair with Miami Basel, the art-market that seems to have garnered huge attention since it's American inception a few years ago. Though we would like to have exhibited at one of the subsidiary fairs that coincide with Miami Basel, the field is hyper competitive and a long-shot for any gallery without exposure to an international marketplace. We felt that Art Miami, having gained prestige and momentum for 17 years already, was a great starting point and something to shoot for, particularly in a year that straddles the grand opening of the Denver Art Museum and all the national attention that has brought. The dates for the fair were also critical, as the January 5-8th show dates allow us to transition through the holidays and only miss a week of local activity. The directors of Art Miami were impressed enough with our website to take a close look and recommend which artists to submit, something we were thankful for as it's not easy to choose when you feel all of your artists should qualify.
    The artists that were recommended do represent the cream of our crop, or at least 5 of the most notable and regarded artists to ever emerge from Denver including Bruce Price, Karen McClanahan, Tsehai Johnson, Lauri Lynnxe Murphy and John McEnroe. On top of their recommendations, a representative of Art Miami visited the gallery this past summer for a firsthand look at our submissions, so being selected actually comes with the knowledge that there was good understanding with our artists and general program, leaving us hopeful for a successful venture.
    Though we will be focusing on five of our artists, we hope to represent everyone in our stable as well as Denver itself as a viable, progressive and absolutely happening market for art. We'll be spending a significant amount of our holiday time gearing up to attend the fair and looking for support from the community towards this journey. For more information about Art Miami, visit art-miami.com

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    The cost to attend Art Miami is large and we are seeking support and sponsorship from anyone who is interested in seeing Denver artists make a real impact on the global community. With so much being touted this year for Denver as an arts destination, sorely little has trickled down so far to the commercial level at least for the progressive contemporary artists working within. We cannot necessarily wait for the world to come to Denver, rather our philosophy is to try and raise interest for Denver art in a different, more complex but undoubtedly valid way.
     The attendance at Art Miami in 2005 was at 24,000 visitors, a number that shows just how many eyes will potentially view a gallery's artists. The advertising campaign for Art Miami has been tremendous in 2006, it is obvious that the fair seeks to raise the bar and rival Basel, most likely due to a healthy amount of backlash that has been created from the hyper-competitiveness of that fair and its young siblings. Regardless whether it is successful or not, it is a starting point towards catching up with the new art-economy and a strong platform for the future.
    The five artists who will be represented at Art Miami with + gallery have each generously donated a small but significant piece of artwork for us to sell and use the proceeds towards the trip. It's a nice starting point and we encourage everyone to visit the gallery and consider the works for their collection. All are within a $300 -$900 value range.
    There are other ways to support our endeavor including our favorite, buying great artworks from any of our talented artists. Our inventory contains many worthwhile pieces and though we love to show them off, we are always seeking good collections and homes to put them in. Now is the time to buy!
    Those looking for a way to clear-out some of their excess earnings before years end should consider sponsoring our trip, feel free to contact us to discuss, we have certainly shown in the past that we know how to create momentum and have a good time and would enjoy others participating alongside or in name. We are producing a catalog for the event and have ample opportunity for community sponsorship as a vehicle for support. Come by or give us a call, you know where we are!