There is a reverence that permeates the halls of The Cranbrook Academy of Art. This calming quiet lets you consider the fact that it was here that Charles and Ray Eames met and would begin working together, forever cementing their names in the annals of the world of design.
That calm is broken by the electricity that moves through the art studios of Cranbrook’s first and second year art students who are both eager and nervous to showcase their work to potential buyers during the Studio 2022 gala.
In the courtyard of the school a large, white tent was erected for gala attendees to hobnob with one another over dinner and drinks. Those in attendance, dressed in the silk scarves and ascots befitting of a casual collector of fine art, are sponsors of the program and the academy. The room is abuzz with conversations about the artwork they had become interested as they toured the studios.
The art studios were broken up into disciplines of ceramics, painting, fabrics, and photography, to name a few. If you have never been to an open studio, it gives you the opportunity to meet with a young artist who will be present in their studio to meet you. You get to see the half finsihed pieces next to their most exemplary work. You see their shelves lined with knickknacks they have brought in to make their small studios feel more llike home. You get to listen to the artist explain their process and their work in hopes of understanding what they were trying to convey in particular pieces. More importantly, as a collector, you get to see what the budding artist at the beginning of their career is like as a person. You get to see and judge whether or not they, as an artist, will have the potential to move forward and market themselves in the cutthroat art world and thusly be a good investment.
Because the fact is, if you are thinking about buying original artwork but don’t have a cool $450k to drop on a well known artist – or even if you do but you like taking a chance on something new – an event like Studio is the place to obtain beautiful art at extremely reasonable prices. Many of the pieces that were bought during the digital art sale on the Sunday after Studio were purchased by savvy art collectors looking to make an investment in an artist whose work they believe will be worth much, much more someday. This belief is often times solidified by a direct result of the interactions they have with the artists during the studio visits.
If you are a lover of fine art or just hoping to make a good investment in something more tangible than an NFT, you still have time to purchase work by over 100 different artists online by going to Cranbrook Academy’s website. Purchasing the art will also help to ensure funding for scholarships and art programs at The Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Written by:
KALVIN LAZARTEPhotography by:
SARAH BLANCHETTE