There’s a new art gallery in Ottawa. Artworkz, tucked away on Murray Street in the Byward Market, opened its doors for the first time Sept. 19.
Its primary organizer and owner, Gary Pierre, said the idea for the gallery emerged out of a desire for artists to have a space to display their work and profit off it without splitting the money with the gallery.
Most galleries take 50 per cent of the money made for every piece sold, which harms struggling artists quite a bit, he said. Artworkz, unlike most, is a non-profit organization for the benefit of artists.
“This is a pro-artists space. They pay a minimum amount of rent just to have their artwork displayed, and get the benefits of having staff, advertising campaigns, internet sites, Facebook accounts, everything to generate traffic,” Pierre said.
Pierre said the idea came to him when several artists told him they were having a hard time with sales. He discussed with his partner and came up with the idea of a gallery where both he and the artists could benefit, but the primary benefit went to the artists.
Artworkz features local artists, but Pierre said he and his company plan to expand into other major cities and highlight local artists there so they can benefit as well.
The location, which had several of the artists raving, was one of the reasons Pierre said he chose Murray Street despite initial problems with flooring. The walls were stone, rather than the customary white which allows the colours in the art to flourish.
The gallery’s artwork does not have a specific theme, because Pierre said he wanted to include as many types of artwork as possible, from traditional art to photography to sculptures and everything in between, making it almost impossible not to find a piece to admire.
“We’re looking to incorporate different talents so that clients coming into the gallery have the benefit of taking a look at all of the different options that are available within art,” Pierre explained.
Denisa Procazka, whose sculpture “Embrace” was on display, praised the gallery’s location, saying its presence in the middle of the market made the location perfect for passersby to stumble upon. She said she hoped for more art exposure in Ottawa so that the city’s art scene grows.
She also explained the deal the artists have with the gallery is that once a piece is sold, the artists must replace it with a new one, giving them a permanent location to display their art, and a fairly steady source of income.
Norman Pirollo, a wood artist, has some of the gallery’s most unique works and was introduced to Artworkz by a friend.
“I like the arrangement, it’s a monthly fee and the artist keeps the rest,” he said of why he chose Artworkz.
Sue Shuker, a mixed media artist, explained that the email she received about Artworkz made it sound like a risk, which is why she decided to participate.
“If you don’t take risks, you don’t get anywhere,” she said.
Artworkz’s prices range from the low hundreds to the high thousands, and with the variety of work, there’s sure to be something for everyone.
