A question just came up and it made me wonder. I know a local artist (here on Bowen Island) who is quite creative when it comes to selling her art. Of course her work is in galleries, and she also gets her work displayed in restaurants, etc.
But the one thing she does that i'm curious about and was wondering if anyone else has done is this:
Has anyone tried renting their art? She has really low monthly rates for people who can't normally afford art. I would assume that if a buyer came up (who maybe saw the painting online, or whatever), that the person renting it would be given the option to buy it first though. But in the meantime, you're getting revenue for a painting that could very possibly normally be sitting at home just waiting, gathering dust, and people who just don't have the money can enjoy beautiful art too.
I can see it would be scary though, unless it was rented to someone you know and trust or to someone who someone you know and trust can vouch for. I suppose a less scary version would be a sort of "rent to own" version. Either way, a contract would have to be made up to protect the painting, i would assume.
Anyway, anybody tried this? Any luck with this if you have? Any comments?
Hi Amber! Good questions! I have rented paintings in the past. Unfortunately, the revenue is usually small, and the risks are high. If I was to rent again, I would consider the "art rental" at the Victoria Municipal Gallery as they have all the policies , paperwork etc. I have sold paintings on small payment terms , some even $50/mo which worked better for me. The purchaser, then owns the work is more likely to take better care of it than someone who rents. Generally, I don't think renting artwork is all that beneficial for the painter. Warm Regards, Brian Simons
ReplyDeleteYes, my concern would be the safety of the paintings as well. I guess here on Bowen Island, you really don’t want to hurt the local well-known artist’s work, because it’s a small island and we all know where you live . . . ;-) So i guess renting would be a bit safer here.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, i suppose it’s not that beneficial for the painter, unless the painter hardly ever sells anything . . . But the main idea about that is, i think, to help people who simply can’t afford art to be able to have beauty on their walls. But i know; not really safe in the real world outside of my little rock in the Pacific.
Thank you for your comments on this Brian.
Btw, thank you for this forum. It really is nice to be able to see what the “Brian Crowd” is up to, and to have such beautiful work regularly grace my monitor.
Hi Amber! I'm so happy you posted a comment inviting discussion. I was beginning to think this was more like a painting exposition although, to post new painting is great too! My hope was that it could also become a forum for discussion as well. Please feel free to post as often as you like, pics, comments, or open a new discussion. This is your blog too and you should feel free to make the best use of it. Thank you so much for your contributions Amber! Brian
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