By ION on Feb 10, 2009 in CULTURE
Vantage [Art] Projects
During my first year of university my dorm room looked like an Ikea catalogue photo, complete with the framed print of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Café Terrace at Night.” At three feet by four feet, it was the largest and most impressive piece of “art” I had ever owned, and I figured it would give my dorm mates the impression that I was arty. Thankfully, my tastes have evolved since then and that Van Gogh print now lives in my parents’ basement. However, despite the fact that my interest in art has grown over the years my knowledge is still fairly limited.
The art world can be a difficult place to navigate, for both artists and art lovers alike. There are lots of people who love art and who are interested in collecting it. There are also lots of people who make art and are interested in selling it, but sometimes it can be hard for these two groups of people to come together and do business. Sherri Kajiwara and Jennifer Mawby were concerned about this and decided to create a way to increase the exchange between artists and art lovers. In October of 2008, they launched Vantage Art Projects with the motto that “art is an essential service.”
“I believe that within the art world there are two groups of people, content providers and infrastructure providers,” says Jen. “And if you’re not creating art, or providing content, then it’s your role to provide the infrastructure that’s necessary for the art world to grow.”
Vantage has a unique approach to providing this infrastructure within the art world. Its online presence serves as a forum where emerging artists can showcase their work and establish contacts, while art lovers can discover new artists and begin building a collection of affordable pieces. Twice a month, Vantage’s “Fresh Picks” releases a limited edition fine art print series available in three sizes which range in price from $45 to $1,450. The website also features artist bios as well as links to their online portfolios.
“Our goal for the ‘Fresh Picks’ series was to provide something that was immediately accessible, but still met fine art standards,” says Sherri.
The desire for accessibility is definitely a driving factor behind all of Vantage’s goals. After many years of working in the fine art gallery world, both Sherri and Jen acknowledge how exclusive it can be. “In the end, it’s a luxury retail business,” says Sherri. “You have to sell expensive art in order to keep the doors open.”
Sherri and Jen envision Vantage as a way of rethinking the gallery experience. “We want it to be accessible, but in the right way,” Sherri explains. “We’re not dumbing down art, we’re just figuring out a way to offer high-quality pieces that are still affordable.”
One of the ways in which this is accomplished is through their printing method. All of the “Fresh Picks” editions are printed on archival paper by a fine art printer. It’s a digital, print-on-demand process that eliminates the need for storage of excess prints. It also reduces the financial risk that artists often take on when making prints of their work.
As Vantage continues to grow, Sherri and Jen see many opportunities for reducing the financial gaps, as well as the educational gaps, that exist within the art world. “We want to make it easier for people to collect art,” Sherri says. “It’s not unrealistic for people to spend thousands of dollars on their homes, but then decorate the walls with ten dollar posters. For a lot of people I think this has more to do with a lack of education rather than a lack of interest.”
For now, Vantage remains in its introductory phase but there are many plans for future growth. Sherri and Jen are currently working on developing the Art Press, which is the publishing division of Vantage. Art Press books will serve as exhibitions in print, and they will showcase the work of new artists. In addition to publishing the work of artists within the Vantage network, there will also be open calls for submissions through the website.
While Vantage is unique to Canada, there are a number of similar international models, such as Visionaire and Jen Bekman’s 20×200, which have experienced noteworthy success in the last year. Considering that Vantage is only four months old, Sherri and Jen are excited to see how Vantage will grow during the next year, and they anticipate that it is going to be a busy one.
Words: Samantha Langdorf
