It’s that time of the year when you have to decide whether to order an easily-replaceable mass-produced artwork online, or seek a one-of-a-kind original painting from a local gallery to give as a gift to someone.
And here’s something that can help make up your mind: New West’s Van Dop Gallery has curated hundreds of works — by close to 80 Canadian artists — that you can put in your shopping basket without shelling out lots of dough. The works will be part of the gallery's Small Masterpieces exhibition.
But how is that the original works of artists are priced the same as a photo frame from IKEA?
It's possible because of their small size. The annual Small Masterpieces exhibition, as the name suggests, includes small paintings by artists whose repertoires also include larger works.
“I always feel it's important to give an original piece as a gift because it's long-lasting; it becomes an heirloom versus something that you throw away after a few years, right?” said Trudy Van Dop, owner of the Van Dop Gallery, who has been organizing the annual show for close to a decade now.
“With the challenges of the economy right now, people don’t necessarily have these additional dollars to buy a larger item. We're sensitive to that,” she added.
“We have lots of pieces — some even in the range of $10 to $20 — that’s for anybody's budget.”
The prices go all the way up to $10,000.
The collection will include craft items made of wood, metal, ceramic and fibre; original artworks; gift items and ornaments; smaller paintings of different sizes: 6x6 inch,10x10 inch, 8x8 inch, 10x10 inch, and so on; and some larger ones too.
“They're not necessarily festival-related... they are more contemporary pieces, but you treasure them for years,” said Van Dop.
Displayed in a 1996-founded home and gallery space, visitors can browse through the works without the intimidation of walking through the halls of a pin-drop-silent museum.
“And it's fun! It's a different experience because when people come to shop, they're at my home and we serve hot apple cider — that's my special home recipe — and some special treats to share,” said Van Dop.
“People can relax and soak up all the creativity and enjoy the whole process.”
The annual Small Masterpieces exhibition can be viewed between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 19. Those who can’t make it on the day can contact Trudy Van Dop at [email protected] for a private viewing at a later point.
