The 6th annual Art Now Fine Art Fair comes to a close

 

The 6th annual Art Now Fine Art Fair came to a close on Sunday, September 26, 2021. For this edition, Art Now once again took place in a hybrid format, held primarily online and on location at participating gallery locations across Saskatchewan. There were over 650 pieces of original art for sale from 17 Saskatchewan exhibitors, showcasing a diverse line up of artists and artwork. 

 

The show began on September 16 with a virtual opening night reception, where attendees could chat live online with the gallerists, listen to curated playlists from SaskMusic as they browsed, and watch the first of five panel sessions, ‘One by One: Analysis of Selected Works’ to gain insight into a piece from each exhibiting gallery. Art Now welcomed 18,000+ visitors from across Canada to artnow.ca over the 10-day event online.

 

Then on September 24 and 25, the galleries welcomed art lovers safely into their physical spaces to view their Art Now booths in person and to take in many special events. Attendees were able to view artist demonstrations such as eco-dying at Hansen Ross House, a dreamcatcher workshop at On the Avenue Art Gallery, and live painting at Dervilia art + design, And Art Gallery, and Collector’s Choice Art Gallery. Artists were on site at several galleries to discuss their works and visit with guests. 

 

Throughout the ten days, Art Now produced an engaging line up of virtual programming including five panel sessions, curated by Jesse Campbell, curator and arts administrator. These sessions, along with twelve artist talks, were enjoyed by hundreds of virtual Art Now attendees, and included discussions: ‘One by One: Analysis of Selected Works’; ‘Show & Tell: Connecting with Art’; ‘Revisionist Landscape’; ‘Culture C(l)ash: Can Indigenous Artists Make a Living Without Selling Out?’; and ‘Art as Life: The Creative Process’. 

 

Hosted on Zoom, these sessions discussed the meaningful pieces that artists create, how collectors choose to display in their homes, discussions on how the Saskatchewan landscape is depicted differently, and how those artists can continue to market their artworks commercially without harming their culture. Artist talks were also presented virtually, with each artist speaking about their inspiration and practice differently. You can watch each of these sessions and artist talks on our YouTube channel anytime. 

 

SaskGalleries is grateful to bring the Art Now Fine Art Fair once again to a virtual and in-person audience, and thanks all the attendees, galleries, presenters, and organizers for making the event possible. SaskGalleries is also grateful to Creative Saskatchewan and all our sponsors, for making Art Now accessible to the public.

 

Be sure to mark your calendars for the 7th edition of Art Now, which returns in person to Saskatoon, September 22 to 25, 2022. And follow us on social media for updates.

 

 

 

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Art Now Perfects Hybrid Online & On-Location Art Event 2021 

 

Saskatchewan’s premier fine art fair, Art Now, has the formula for a virtual and online fine art fair down pat. After a wildly successful hybrid on-location and online event in 2020, the fine art fair is keeping the formula customers enjoyed in 2021 for the 6th edition of the show this September.

 

“More than 30,000 people attended Art Now online last year and we had breakthrough numbers in person,” says Melanie Metcalf, Art Now committee chair. “Last year, art buyers made the shift to attending and buying art online easily as well as enjoying the option to go to galleries on location. For now, being hybrid has turned out to be a great fit for customers, galleries, and artists,” Metcalf adds.

 

17 Galleries, 600+ Works of Art Online

Art Now will be the largest fine art fair of modern and contemporary art on the Canadian prairies featuring 17 commercial galleries and more than 600 works of art available for purchase. All artwork and programming will be hosted on artnow.ca from September 16-26, 2021, with the online opening reception kicking things off the evening of September 16. Participating galleries will also be hosting on-location events, taking place September 25 and 26. All details can be found at artnow.ca.

 

This year’s Art Now participating galleries are from across the province, making 2021’s event an all-around Saskatchewan approach with new galleries and artists on show as well. Attendees will be able to enjoy a variety of art works displayed by galleries from across the province. Art will be available in a variety of sizes, styles, mediums, and price points, so whether you’re an established art lover or just starting to buy, there is something for everyone.

 

Opening Night Reception Sept 16

This year’s programming includes an online opening reception on September 16 at 6pm. Opening night attendees will have first access to purchase works, are invited to chat with gallerists online, and can enter for a chance to win one of 16 door prizes. In addition, there will be virtual artist talks, panels and Zoom sessions. Theopening night reception can be accessed by visiting artnow.ca. 

 

Panel Sessions

For 2021, Art Now invited Saskatchewan curator, Jesse Campbell, to shape the panel sessions for the show. “The Art Now panel sessions are about the lives of artworks, from their journeys through artists’ hands to the homes and spaces they come to inhabit,” says Campbell. “We’ve designed the panel discussions with themes of interest foreveryone.” See the full schedule and register for all online events here: https://www.artnow.ca/online/events. 

 

On-Location Events Sept. 25 & 26
On-location events will be taking place with a host of participating galleries on September 25 and 26, featuring art installations, pop-up exhibitions, artists on site, live painting, and more. A complete list of on-location galleries and events can be found at artnow.ca. All on-location visitors are eligible to win a $100 SaskGalleries gift certificate just by completing a short online survey. 

 

Family Programming

For family programming, organizers are excited to bring the “next gen creators,” some engaging activities and inspiration featuring Saskatchewan’s up-and-coming artists. More information can be found at artnow.ca.

 

About the Organizers

Produced by SaskGalleries, Art Now is in its 6th year of bringing premier commercial galleries together to sell art. Art Now is made possible with the generous support of the fair’s major supporter, Creative Saskatchewan, as well as many other sponsors, supporters, and partners.Established in 1999, SaskGalleries is an association of the leading Saskatchewan professional commercial art galleries whose focus is to promote the sale of original art through reputable Saskatchewan galleries. 

 

COVID-19 – attendees are asked to please check the gallery protocols and provincial COVID-19 guidelinesbefore attending. All activities will respect current guidelines set out by the Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer at the time of the event.

 

EVENTS:

Opening Reception – free admission

Thursday, September 16 at 6pm, online

 

Online – free admission

September 16-26, 2021 at artnow.ca

Open online from Friday, September 17 to 8:00pm on Sunday, September 27, 2021

 

On Location – free admission

On location at several of the galleries on September 25 and 26.

See https://www.artnow.ca/online/on-location-galleries for the full list of galleries and special events split out by region.

Website: www.ArtNow.ca 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArtNowFineArtFair

Art Now event page: www.facebook.com/events/577021066302460

Instagram: @ArtNowFineArtFair, @SaskGalleries