My Original Art in NYC
I recently traveled to New York City for the National Art Education Association Annual Conference with two of my coworkers. What made it an even sweeter trip was the fact that one of my original pieces of art was selected for a curated exhibit at the Equity Gallery in Lower Manhattan! We actually arrived the day of the gallery opening night.
The gallery is unassuming and it was actually difficult to find the sign for the entrance when we walked up. Can you spot it in this photo?
This particular exhibition was organized by Artrepreneur. As someone with a full-time job, and simultaneously trying to juggle my art career, I find their website and organization to be so useful. If you are an artist trying hard to “make it” then you should consider joining their site. They hold various open call competitions throughout the year and they stand for helping artists succeed. The particular exhibition I was involved in had the purpose of demonstrating the high quality giclée printing services of Artrepreneur.
If you know anything about having prints made of your art, you know that getting a set of giclée prints made is quite pricey. Artrepreneur takes that out of the equation. As an artist, you only have to upload high quality images of your original art and once approved, determine the sizes and price at which you will sell your work. The artist gets to choose their personal profit amount. If anyone purchases your work, Artrepreneur ships your art directly and you receive the profit and do not have to do anything else!
Just to be clear, I am totally talking about this opportunity that I came across because I love it and recommend it. Artrepreneur has in no shape or form asked me to advertise for them!
Ok, back to discussing the exhibition. Once we went inside the gallery, we were greeted by many practicing artists. There was a wide variety of art displayed. In total, 30 pieces were chosen for the exhibition. I initially did not realize this but apparently thousands of artists submitted their work for this competition! So, it really was a special honor. Plus, I have to admit, being able to say, “yeah my artwork has been displayed in Manhattan” sounds pretty cool. It’s one of those moments where you feel like the many, many years of your hard work has paid off in a way. For someone else to find value in your idea and your creation is incredible.
Here’s a view of some of the selected pieces.
When I walked to the back of the gallery, I was shocked to see one of my childhood best friends standing there. She totally surprised me and flew to NYC for 24 hours JUST for this!
My friend and I stand in front of my artwork.
I felt so much love that night, as if what I do truly matters and people care about it. Ah! If I could feel that all the time. I guess that is partly why I am writing this, as a reminder and documentation of this special moment! My hope is that this will be the start of many more opportunities for my art to reach a wider audience. At the end of the day, I want this calling to allow me to live comfortably and I refuse to stop until it does.
Do you like my art? Consider following me on Instagram at @ebofficialart and follow my artistic journey!
