Blow by Blow

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Turned On Artist: Jean Fernandes

Have you created sculptural lighting before? No, this is completely new territory for me as an artist. Lighting has always been difficult for me to even think about integrating into my sculpture, so I'm excited to be pushed into this new realm.

What is inspiring your piece for this show? My glass work is generally very inspired by physics and the natural properties of the material, so the work I am creating for this show also falls into those areas.

What do you think is the greatest challenge in creating the piece for this show? The biggest challenge for me is the mounting and hardware. I generally work with pedestals but making work that hangs on a wall or from the ceiling presents a whole new set of challenges.

If you participated in a residency here at PGC, how did that impact your process for creating this piece? The PGC team has been hugely supportive of me since I started in glass and I am so grateful I was given the opportunity to work with them in the studio. The studio staff helped me problem solve several issues I have been running into and were a great support throughout the residency. Just being in Pittsburgh and getting a chance to work at the amazing PGC facility is very inspiring. Thank you for the opportunity!

Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) flips the switch on June 3 to present a new lighting exhibition called, “Turned On: Lighting Hooks Up with Sculpture,” co-curated by PGC Executive Director Heather McElwee and artist Susan Taylor Glasgow. The exhibition will be on view until September 11, 2016.  

Join us for a free opening reception on June 3 from 6-9pm! Many of the artists will be in attendance!

All photos courtesy of Nathan J. Shaulis/Porter Loves Creative.

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Turned On Artist: Corey Pemberton

Have you created sculptural lighting before? No, first time for me.

What is inspiring your piece for this show? This piece is inspired by the simplistic forms and patterns of Zulu basketry. I was also influenced greatly by the work of the late great, Ruth Asawa and her organic strand-like sculptures.

What do you think is the greatest challenge in creating the piece for this show? Since I don’t make sculpture or lighting, just the idea of coming up with a piece for this show was a challenge.  Not to mention the technical feat that is hanging glass from the ceiling on a hard metal armature.

If you participated in a residency here at PGC, how did that impact your process for creating this piece? My residency took place during a very busy time at PGC when there were lots of other artists around to bounce ideas off of.  We were able to exchange technical information as well as offer critiques of each others work.  I think being there pushed me to make something I normally would not have the resources to make in my own studio.

Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) flips the switch on June 3 to present a new lighting exhibition called, “Turned On: Lighting Hooks Up with Sculpture,” co-curated by PGC Executive Director Heather McElwee and artist Susan Taylor Glasgow. The exhibition will be on view until September 11, 2016.  

Join us for a free opening reception on June 3 from 6-9pm! Many of the artists will be in attendance!

All photos courtesy of Nathan J. Shaulis/Porter Loves Creative.

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Turned On Artist: Evan Kolker

I have had my hand in many works of sculptural lighting through the years I have worked managing and creating custom glass projects for various artists and designers. However, this will be my first personal go at the motif. When approached with the concept for the show, I wanted to use the opportunity to bring to fruition an idea I was developing for a suspended sculpture. The work I have created is inspired by Aristolochia Grandiflora, also known as the “pelican plant,” a deciduous vine native to the Caribbean and Central America. The plant produces large ominous flowers that emit the odor of rotting flesh to attract scavenging fly pollinators, and which only bloom for a mere 48 hours before completing their fertility cycle and wilting.

My residency at Pittsburgh Glass Center was an amazing opportunity and experience. It often takes me months to develop new work due to time constraints with scheduled projects. However, during my residency, I was able to move at a rapidly accelerated pace with a single focused goal. What was only a concept weeks before has now become a fully realized sculpture. There are always difficulties when prototyping new glass forms in the hot-shop, but I think the real challenge to this project was designing an armature/suspension technique that is well engineered aesthetically and structurally sound.

Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) flips the switch on June 3 to present a new lighting exhibition called, “Turned On: Lighting Hooks Up with Sculpture,” co-curated by PGC Executive Director Heather McElwee and artist Susan Taylor Glasgow. The exhibition will be on view until September 11, 2016.  

Join us for a free opening reception on June 3 from 6-9pm! Many of the artists will be in attendance!

All photos courtesy of Nathan J. Shaulis/Porter Loves Creative.

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Turned On Artist: Leo Tecosky

Have you created sculptural lighting before? I worked in sculptural neon in the past, and I have been fabricating blown glass lighting for artists and designers for the last ten years. This is my first foray  into blown glass illuminated sculpture

What is inspiring your piece for this show? The arrow elements that are often a part of wildstyle graffiti compositions.

What do you think is the greatest challenge in creating the piece for this show? So far it's been figuring out the best way to illuminate the installation.

If you participated in a residency here at PGC, how did that impact your process for creating this piece? Having never made these arrows before, the residency provided the freedom to dial in process.

Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) flips the switch on June 3 to present a new lighting exhibition called, “Turned On: Lighting Hooks Up with Sculpture,” co-curated by PGC Executive Director Heather McElwee and artist Susan Taylor Glasgow. The exhibition will be on view until September 11, 2016.  

Join us for a free opening reception on June 3 from 6-9pm! Many of the artists will be in attendance!

All photos courtesy of Nathan J. Shaulis/Porter Loves Creative.

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Turned On Artist: Carmen Lozar and Matthew Urban

Have you created sculptural lighting before? No

What is inspiring your piece for this show? We were inspired by the way textured surfaces in glass can amplify and distort light. In the chandelier we designed we have combined a variety of glass techniques from furnace to fusing, flameworking, and even mosaic. The end result of each of these methods transmit and reflect light differently, yet they are all the same material, glass.

What do you think is the greatest challenge in creating the piece for this show? The greatest challenge was pairing our ideas down to one. We started with huge ideas (a life-sized rhino, a snail you could crawl inside of and take a nap) and realized that because of time and resources we must narrow it down using our individual strengths. Mine in the flameshop and Matt as a designer in the hot shop and metal studio.  It was also hard to reign the ideas in because there are so many possibilities to explore with lighting and such a rich history to draw from. I loved the Black Forest lighting made from antlers and hand carved mermaids while Matthew is strongly influenced by Barovier and Toso lighting design catalogs.

If you participated in a residency here at PGC, how did that impact your process for creating this piece? We were too busy to come but would love to defer to another year!

Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) flips the switch on June 3 to present a new lighting exhibition called, “Turned On: Lighting Hooks Up with Sculpture,” co-curated by PGC Executive Director Heather McElwee and artist Susan Taylor Glasgow. The exhibition will be on view until September 11, 2016.  

Join us for a free opening reception on June 3 from 6-9pm! Many of the artists will be in attendance!

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Turned On Artist: Susan Taylor Glasgow

Have you created sculptural lighting before? Yes.

What is inspiring your piece for this show? Rock, Paper, Scissors, dresses, sewing, chandeliers, and a deadline!

What do you think is the greatest challenge in creating the piece for this show? Aligning the planets to have all the right people, parts, and time in one place.

If you participated in a residency here at PGC, how did that impact your process for creating this piece?   Receiving the time and help.  I couldn't do the "rocks" in my own studio.  Corey's help was instrumental. Ashley and Becky were great in helping with the "paper", the final assembly, as well as technical support.

Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) flips the switch on June 3 to present a new lighting exhibition called, “Turned On: Lighting Hooks Up with Sculpture,” co-curated by PGC Executive Director Heather McElwee and artist Susan Taylor Glasgow. The exhibition will be on view until September 11, 2016.  

Join us for a free opening reception on June 3 from 6-9pm! Many of the artists will be in attendance!

All photos courtesy of Nathan J. Shaulis/Porter Loves Creative.

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Turned On Artist: Adam Holtzinger and Susan Spiranovich

Have you created sculptural lighting before?

No, we haven’t. We’re expanding on an individual design we’ve been working on and are interested to see it in a grouping to create a sculptural composition.

What is inspiring your piece for this show? Pattern and repetition.

What do you think is the greatest challenge in creating the piece for this show? The scale of the installation, along with planning and logistics. We spent a lot of time 3D modeling our piece to see composition and scale. This enabled us to pre-plan and finish and assemble hardware in Brooklyn prior to the residency.

If you participated in a residency here at PGC, how did that impact your process for creating this piece? The residency at PGC enabled us to create our work at a scale we haven’t had the opportunity to make it in thus far.

Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) flips the switch on June 3 to present a new lighting exhibition called, “Turned On: Lighting Hooks Up with Sculpture,” co-curated by PGC Executive Director Heather McElwee and artist Susan Taylor Glasgow. The exhibition will be on view until September 11, 2016.  

Join us for a free opening reception on June 3 from 6-9pm! Many of the artists will be in attendance!

All photos courtesy of Nathan J. Shaulis/Porter Loves Creative.

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Artists Thrive at Pittsburgh Glass Center

Artist residencies are a huge benefit to local artists. Pittsburgh glass artists have the opportunity to work with and learn from renowned artists from around the world. They develop new skills, build meaningful relationships, and earn an income by working as part of the artist's production team. Then they can make a living in Pittsburgh, buy a home and build their lives and studios here! In the last two months, we welcomed ten artists from outside of Pittsburgh for residencies in our studios. We gave them time and resources to experiment and create new artwork and connected them with local artists to help them make their art.

“Kara Skylling simplified her narrative and allowed the medium (glass) to speak for her. When we worked together, she had such confidence in simply creating that it gave me the permission to do the same in my work. Her influence shifted the way I 'make.'" - Margaret Spacapan, Pittsburgh glass artist

“Any visiting artist that comes [to PGC] brings a unique perspective, and I think as a studio we all grow from that,"   - Dana Laskowski, Pittsburgh glass artist and former PGC SiO2 student. 

Tuesday, May 3 is the Pittsburgh Day of Giving, and it’s an opportunity to see your gift to PGC DOUBLED. The board and staff of PGC have already pledged $13,850 as a matching pool. When you help us meet that match between 8am and midnight on Tuesday, we’ll have $27,700 to support our thriving residency program which benefits artists both inside and outside of Pittsburgh.

But wait, there’s more: If we can get individual gifts from the greatest number of unique zip codes, we can win another $1,500 from the Pittsburgh Foundation! Since we’ve had students come to PGC to take a class from all 50 states and over 15 countries, we feel excited about our global support and our ability to win this challenge. 

Please join us online on Tuesday to help artists thrive!

Plus, keep an eye out on Facebook and Instagram tomorrow to get updates on how close we are to the match and see more photos and stories about local artists.

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15 Years: Still Glowing and Growing

2016 is Pittsburgh Glass Center’s 15th anniversary!

There are lots of fun things in the works for celebrate this milestone year. Here’s just a few to look forward to:

Birthday cake at every Hot Jam

A free community party this summer

Our 10th Art on Fire at American Eagle Outfitters

But, first up, starting this week, we’ll be hosting a giveaway on our Facebook page the 15th of every month throughout 2016. At 4pm on the 14th of every month, we’ll post a question. Everyone who answers will be entered into a random drawing for a complimentary class or workshop. The winner will be drawn and announced at 4pm on the 15th. Answers need not be right (if applicable) to be entered into the drawing.

First up on January 15, we’re giving away a 4-week spring class!

We look forward to continuing to glow and grow through 2016 with your support!

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Top 10 for 2015

As PGC rolls into celebrating our 15th anniversary in 2016, it’s time to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments in the past year. The Top 10 has been a tradition of ours for several years. We hope you’ll enjoy looking back on all we’ve done this year with your support!

1. A+ for Summer School. Summer intensive classes were off the chart this year. We earned $145,000 beating our record by nearly $20,000!  230 students came to Pittsburgh to advance their skills and take glass classes.

2. ABC for All to See. Our ABC@PGC exhibition of LED letters by Jen Elek and Jeremy Bert will remain in Pittsburgh indefinitely and is on display at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh thanks to generous support from The Grable Foundation. Word!

3. Art on Fire was on Fire. It was an epic year for our annual celebration and auction. We had our largest attendance and raised $171,000. That’s $30,000 more than any previous year!

4. Artists Inspired by Archives. It was a tremendous experience for our artists to have the unique privilege of exploring the collections at Carnegie Museum of Natural History to see ancient glass. It was inspirational and energizing for them, many who are now volunteering in the collections to help preserve the art.

5. ASL Hot Jams are A-OK. For the first time this year, we had an ASL interpreter at each Hot Jam to help our hearing impaired visitors enjoy the hot glass demonstrations. It was a learning experience for both the interpreters who had never experienced such a hot topic and our artists who improved their communication skills.

6. Endowment Now. Thanks to a generous donation from Randi and Van Dauler, we are starting an endowment. The Daulers were always supportive of capital projects at PGC. This nest egg will help us plan for future capital needs.

7. Off-Site Residencies Expand. We continue to offer hands-on experiences with more schools and organizations throughout Pittsburgh including Highlands High School, Boyd Community Center, Camp Chabad, Clayton Academy and Ward Home. On a high note, we completed a jewelry residency that ended with a fashion show.

8. Glassy Accents at Eastside Bond. Our artists in collaboration with Bridgeway Capital’s Craft Business Accelerator created 189 pendants to hang in every new Eastside Bond apartment on Highland Avenue. 10 local glass artists were employed for the project.

9. Propelling with PGC. This year, we had multiple, meaningful experiences with children from Propel Schools. We were able to offer free hands-on experiences to elementary students from the North Side, Homestead, Braddock, and McKeesport.

10. Radical RADday. RADical Day this year was by far the biggest and most diverse free family day we have ever held. From 10am to 9pm, the building was full of people, young and old, eating s’mores, exploring Therman Statom’s “Indagare” exhibition, and watching glassblowing demonstrations.

Pittsburgh Glass Center’s mission is simple:

Glass Art: We Teach It. We Create It. We Promote It. We Support Those Who Make It.

Pittsburgh Glass Center is dedicated to diversity and inclusion and committed to being accessible to all. Help us continue to offer one-of-a-kind memorable experiences to EVERYONE we meet by making an end of year donation today.

We truly appreciate your support and look forward to celebrating another 15 years together!

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Holiday Glass Sale Preview

PGC’s Annual Holiday Glass sale is fast approaching:

Friday, December 4 6 - 9pm (sale + hot glass demonstrations)

Saturday, December 5 10am - 4pm (sale + Make-It-Now Ornaments)

Sunday, December 6 10am - 4pm (sale only)

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the work you can expect to see from participating artists:

Becky Smith

Dan Sullivan

Dan Buchanan

Theresa Cress

Leslie Kaplan

Jessica Rutherford

Michael Mangiafico

Sam Foreman

Melissa Fitzgerald

Elizabeth Fortunato

Gillian Preston

Beyvan Schantz

Jason Forck

Sarah Cohen

Travis Rohrbaugh

Ashley McFarland

Julian Maturino

Jean Domico

Zach Layhew

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Summer 2016 - Register Now!

Summer Intensive Courses for 2016 offered in all four studios and all skill levels are now available for registration.

It always seems incredible to us to plan and promote summer activities when we still haven’t had our Holiday Sale, but taking a week-long class requires time to plan.

Why register early?

Secure your spot! With the amazing lineup of instructors below, you never know how quickly a class will sell out. Even though the earliest classes don’t start until mid-May, we have seen classes fill up before New Year’s Eve in the past!

Martin Janecky

Ethan Stern

Boyd Sugiki + Lisa Zerkowitz

Nancy Callan

Weston Lambert

Matt Tyner

Amber Cowan

Marc Petrovic

Claudia Trimbur-Pagel

Jari Sheese

Dean Allison

Tim Drier

Becky Smith

Jason Forck + Jon Capps

Susan Taylor Glasgow

Ed Schmid + Benjamin Johnson

Joseph Cavalieri

Alli Hoag

Matthew Szosz

Richard Parrish

Janis Miltenberger

Ali VanDeGrift

Frantisek Janak

Daniel Clayman

Karina Guevin + Cedric Ginart

Kim Fields

Kit Paulson

Anna Mlasowsky

Courtney Branam

Rob Lewis

Amanda Simmons

Darin Denison + Dave Walters

Nathan Sandberg

Sally Prasch

Jen Elek

Tony Serviente

Robert Mickelsen

Get the lowest price before February 1! Prices go up for all intensives on February 1 and again on April 15, so save some cash by committing early.

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Shopping for the Holidays - Glassy Style

Pittsburgh Glass Center and our local artists are gearing up for the best holiday sale ever. From glass ducks to beautiful jewelry and custom plates, you’re bound to find the perfect glass gift for everyone on your list- or yourself! December 4, 5, and 6, 2015. And don’t forget about the opporunity on December 5 to make your own holiday ornament in either the hot shop or kiln shop!

But we’re not the only ones pulling out all the stops for your glassy and handmade holiday shopping pleasure.

November 27 and 28, 2015 is the annual I Made It! for the Holidays marketplace, this year in Nova Place.

December 3-6, 2015 is the Joy of Cookies Tour in Lawrenceville where you can pickup a tasty cookie at all the participating shops in the Lawrenceville shopping district. We’ve got lots of love for the Riverside Design Group’s Annual Holiday Sale on December 4-6 to benefit Persad.

December 5, 2015 is Handmade Arcade once again being held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center downtown.

December 12-13, 2015 is the annual Highland Park Pottery Tour put on by our friends and neighbors at Union Project!

Through December 23, 2015 is the People’s Gas Holiday Market in Market Square Downtown.

Through December 30, 2015 is PCA’s Annual Holiday Shop. One of the city’s most beautiful handmade and artisanal shops gets even bigger for the holidays!

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Art on Fire Preview: Work with Animals

Pittsburgh Glass Center has the distinct privilege of receiving donations from an incredibly talented and diverse pool of artists each year to support our mission. We auction these pieces off at our Art on Fire Celebration & Auction, coming up this year on September 25, 2015.

In the coming weeks, we’ll feature some of those pieces here on the blog. This next group came together as we noticed a theme of animals showing up in several artists work this year!

Here’s a sampling:

Claire Kelly

Michael “Fig” Mangiafico

Raven Skyriver and Kelly O’Dell

Rocky Kindelberger

Dana Laskowski

See something that strikes your fancy? Buy tickets or register to bid remotely. New this year, we’ll be using mobile technology for our silent auction. With any type of mobile phone and the tap of a finger, you can: browse auction items, select items to “watch”, place bids, make a donation, and pay for items from anywhere.

Proxy or phone bids for live auction items can be arranged by contacting Heather McElwee.

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Join the Challenge! Beads of Courage

On September 26, we will fire up the torches to support Beads of Courage, Inc. It is a project near and dear to our hearts.

Beads of Courage, Inc. exists to provide innovative Arts-in-Medicine programs for children and teens coping with serious illness, their families and healthcare providers who care for them.

Beads of Courage is passionate about giving children and their families coping with serious illness the ability to RECORD, TELL and OWN their story of COURAGE. Each bead represents a treatment, test or procedure that a child faced, but also says, “I did it!”  

Among these beads are artisan-made “Act of Courage” beads, given to mark important milestones during treatment and provide an extra dose of encouragement for children struggling with challenges.  Beads of Courage distributes over 100,000 Act of Courage beads each year, many of which will be created on National Bead Challenge Day.

This is the fifth year that Pittsburgh Glass Center has participated in the Bead Challenge. We’ve met so many courageous kids and their families from Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

See some of the photos from past events.

The event at Pittsburgh Glass Center on Saturday, September 26 is a fundraiser and “bead raiser” supporting Beads of Courage, Inc.  From 10 am–4 pm, glass bead artists will be at their torches for six consecutive hours, creating one-of-a-kind glass beads in a bead making marathon benefitting Beads of Courage.   Additional activities will include live bead making demonstrations, glass bead and jewelry shopping, and a make-and-take Courage Clip, along with door prizes and giveaways.  Admission is free, but some activities may require a small fee.

Artists will also work to fulfill Dream Bead wishes for Beads of Courage members who have requested a special bead to add to their collection.  Local children and families in the Beads of Courage program will visit the studio during the event to receive their dream bead from the artist who created it especially for them.

If you cannot attend on Saturday, but still want to support Beads of Courage, you can donate to our Bead Challenge. Our team is trying to fund the most virtual beads to go on our virtual bead strand. The more money we raise, the more peach beads will appear on the virtual strand. We want to be the number one participating studio in the country.

You can support National Bead Challenge Day by attending the live Bead Challenge event on Saturday, September 26, or making a donation by September 30.

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Art on Fire Preview: International Artists

Pittsburgh Glass Center has the distinct privilege of receiving donations from an incredibly talented and diverse pool of artists each year to support our mission. We auction these pieces off at our Art on Fire Celebration & Auction, coming up this year on September 25, 2015.

In the coming weeks, we’ll feature some of those pieces here on the blog. Next up, international artists.

Here’s a sampling:

Karina Guevin

Hiroshi Yamano

Reiko F. Najima

Saman Kalantari

See something that strikes your fancy? Buy tickets or register to bid remotely. New this year, we’ll be using mobile technology for our silent auction. With any type of mobile phone and the tap of a finger, you can: browse auction items, select items to “watch”, place bids, make a donation, and pay for items from anywhere.

Proxy or phone bids for live auction items can be arranged by contacting Heather McElwee.

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Five Tips for Investing in Art

Jennifer and Karl Salatka are long time supporters of Pittsburgh Glass Center and always attend the Art on Fire Celebration & Auction. They have an outstanding art collection on display throughout their home including sculpture, glass, paintings, ceramics and more. They live with their art and clearly enjoy everything that they have purchased over the years.

“If one has the wherewithal to purchase beautiful and intellectually challenging collectibles, whether it be high art or crafts, buy what you truly love and rely and temper these decisions on self-attained and expert advice. Make an effort to understand the artist's aesthetic, whether this is by reading about or actually meeting the artist. And, if a consideration as to possible monetary appreciation is important, my advice would be to consider emerging artists, establish gallery relations and/or buying at auctions. Again, always buy what you love, understand, and try to establish a coherent collection,” expressed Karl Salatka.

The Salatkas have worked with Art on Fire sponsor CooksonPeirce for many years to help them manage their wealth so that they could have the privilege of investing in art.

"It's clear that emotion should drive the selection of your art. However, it should never drive your investments. Fear, greed and impatience destroy the wealth you need to purchase the art you love," said Daniel S. Henderson, President & CEO of CooksonPeirce Wealth Management.

The Salatkas also rely on the expertise of local galleries such as Concept Art Gallery to help them along the way.

“Jen and Karl are our favorite kind of collector. They truly love the artwork they purchase, and are interested in educating themselves thoroughly about each artwork they consider collecting. It’s been our sincere pleasure to watch their collection grow to the amazing trove of modern and contemporary artwork it now is,” said Alison Brand Oehler of Concept Art Gallery.

Together they have come up with a few tips for investing in art.

Buy what you like.  Don’t be too focused on how much the work will appreciate over time. Buy what makes you happy and you want to live with in your home.

Meet the artist. If possible, find out more about the artist and visit his or her studio to learn more about the process.

Buy art from emerging artists.  In addition to investing in high-end art, consider purchasing art from emerging artists. You’ll be giving their career a boost, plus the art is more affordable.

Diversify. Buy a variety of different art.

Consider buying at auctions. The pricing is very market-driven and you have access to artist’s work that is rarely offered at retail. The Art on Fire Celebration & Auction on September 25 is the perfect opportunity!