Yes, it has finally happened to me. A piece of my art was found in a thrift store. Not sure quite how to feel about this... I mean, I label all my work now with my phone number and e-mail and website, so if you want to get rid of it you can certainly just get in touch with me, right? But at the same time, it is a curious phenomenon. When you think of how much stuff gets dropped off at random places and at random times and who randomly comes by to buy them, it just all boggles my mind~
Here is the story- yesterday I accompanied the sixth graders from my school to our service site, an Arc Value Village off 62 (it's a part of the school philosophy that I love, that the students learn that service is a part of life), and I was off with my pack of kids, hanging clothes up and sorting and my friend and fellow teacher Michelle went off with her pack of kids and came back to me with a HUGE grin and said "there's a piece of your ART over there on the WALL!"
And she told me she passed it and recognized it immediately as mine and looked on the back and there was my name! So I proceeded to saunter over and nab the piece, recognizing it immediately as a piece I had donated to a local fundraiser (where I know it garnered at least a hundred bucks) and so must have wandered off somewhere to someone who needed to let it go to make some space. At any rate, the thrift shop appreciated its value and had it priced near $50 bucks rather than $12~
So I think what comes up is that thought of what happens to your work when you sell it~ do people love it? Do they hang it up on their wall and like looking at it? Do they give them away to people who like them but don't value them? Does this all really matter?
And I think all this leads to,
WHAT HAPPENS TO MY WORK WHEN I DIE?
Which, really, I don't think a lot about. Max can have a fire sale and give it all away for all I'll care!
SO what I've decided with this new/old found donation is that I'll offer it for auction and donate the money to the Humane Society!
click here to bid!
2 comments:
In college and early on, I rarely wanted to let go of any work. Since starting to paint again, and approaching retirement age, I no longer want to leave a closet full of paintings that my family might find charming out of nostalgia, but will eventually be tossed or sold at an estate sale, or a garage sale. I'd like them to sell while I'm alive to see them go to someone who actually wanted them and found value in them.
A fellow artist presented me with a charcoal drawing by the teacher I started with in college, and was the only one who actually taught me anything. My friend gave it to me because all he wanted was the frame it was in. He'd picked it up in a garage sale. Kind of saddened me.
I had the same thing happen. My aunt bought one of my paintings years ago for $100. At Her estate auction the auctioneer threw it in with the $1 box of stuff. My sister saw it and bought it for $2 and donated the painting to the nursing home where she spent her last days. At the same auction they also sold one of those furniture store factory paintings for $150. My sister and I have a good laugh at this.
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