The walls of Shawville’s Café 349 are hosting an unusual kind of exhibit over the next month, intended to give pieces of art a second life after they’ve fallen out of favour at their current homes.
Organizer Cheryl Ann Beillard invited Pontiac art collectors to dust off the old pieces they no longer hang on their walls and enter them in a first of its kind art thrift sale.
“Whether it’s a piece you fell in love with years ago and have since outgrown, something you inherited that isn’t quite your style, or perhaps you are moving, this is your chance to pass it along to someone who’ll give it a second life,” her call for submissions explained.
Beillard said her vision with this sale was to offer the community an opportunity to purchase original artworks at a more affordable price, and offer art owners a space to sell the pieces they no longer display.
“[It’s] helping people to move items they will have trouble knowing how to dispose of as they downsize or empty their relatives’ homes after their passing,” she said. “And a service to the community and in recognition of the economic times we are facing.”
There are a few basic guidelines for the sale. All works must be original, with no reproductions or copies. Sellers remain anonymous. And pricing should be modest, with the goal of finding new homes for the artworks.
In total, 25 pieces were submitted for this first iteration of this sale, and Beillard said she would be open to doing another one if there was interest.
“I think we have a range of items that will appeal to different tastes and suit different decors,” she said, describing a wide variety of pieces including heritage fibre art, paintings from an artist from the Eastern Townships, some pieces from local artists, and a collection of paintings created by students with intellectual disabilities.
She said in some instances, the frames alone are worth double the price asked, and noted interested buyers are free to make an offer other than the price listed and the organizers will consult the owners. Café 349 will take a 15 per cent commission on sales, which will be donated to local food bank Bouffe Pontiac.
The sale will be up at the café until Oct. 3. To find out more and submit work for future sales, contact Beillard at cheryl@wakerobinstudio.ca.
