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| “With No Sense For Time” Fine art giclée print by Hope Olson. Starting at $38 hopeolson.com |
Copyright © Edward Riojas
I’m caving in to the commercialism-thing, and it’s not even Thanksgiving.
Many of you will be shopping before that mangled turkey is even cold, or you will be, at very least, planning your attack on Black Friday, so please allow me to turn you in a different direction before you drag your bloated self to the nearest mall. Besides, you don’t want to roll out of bed at the crack of whatever on Black Friday, just to suck on a five dollar coffee and stand in line two miles from the nearest cash register. I know it’s the American way, but it doesn’t have to be. You can be more American by going online and supporting the arts in the good ol’ U.S. of A. All this while wearing your jammies.
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| “Parable of the Buried Treasure” Fine art giclée print by Edward Riojas. Starting at $75 edriojasartist.com or adcrucem.com |
Consider this your gift guide for folks who are slightly more deserving than a Hai Karate cologne set. Admittedly, my picks are limited in scope, but they’re all good stuff. They might also whet your appetite to search beyond my choices.
The first of my picks is the work of Hope Olson, who shared a venue with moi during ArtPrize. Her work is extremely fresh and equally affordable. She re-interprets cubism using a designerly color palette, which begs her delightful pieces to be hung and enjoyed. “With No Sense For Time,” above right, is available as a giclée print. The original has been sold, but there are plenty of other originals available on her site, beside a new selection of prints.
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| “Sola Fide” Painting by Tanya Nevin. $168 adcrucem.com |
Speaking of prints, I sup-POSE I should toot my own horn and mention that I also offer a large variety of prints in several sizes. A few of the originals are also for sale, in case you want to give an extremely special gift. Shown here is one of the more popular prints. “Parable of the Buried Treasure” is a slightly different, but strong interpretation of the parable of the Kingdom of Heaven. A print selection can be found at edriojasartist.com or in the “Giclee Prints for Sale” album in the public Facebook page "Edward Riojas - Artist." Or, if you really want to use that plastic to purchase the same, then go to adcrucem.com.
While you’re at Ad Crucem, check out the work of other artists represented on the site, including Tanya Nevin. Her work takes the sacred and gives it a feminine touch in a truly original approach. “Sola Fide” is just one example of her pieces available from Ad Crucem. Prints and originals are both available at the site. The best endorsement I can give is that I own a couple of Tanya’s original pieces.
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| “Martin Luther: Treasures of the Reformation” Published by Sandstein Verlag. $39 Artbook, via Minneapolis Institute of Art new.artsmia.org |
One other splendid idea is an art book. If, like me, you’ve resigned yourself to the fact you probably won’t be able to attend one of the Luther shows in Atlanta, Minneapolis or New York, then the catalog is the next best thing. The book represents 400 exhibits in art and writing, most of which are being shown abroad for the first time. If, on the other hand, you CAN attend one of the three U.S. shows, then tickets to the Luther show are a must on your list.
There’s always one in every family – the oddball who has everything, including a wry sense of humor. If you have one lurking somewhere in your gene pool, then consider perusing the online art museum gift shops that abound. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago is listed as one of the top ten museum gift shops by the Wall Street Journal. Like other top ten shops, it is loaded to the gills with all manner of unusual gifts that ooze taste and artsy-fartsy-ness. For those with a sense of humor, I suggest the Marie Antoinette salt and pepper shaker set by Terry Kerr. Oh yes, it will definitely fit in with the antique china in that corner hutch. If it doesn’t, then heads will roll.
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| “Marie Antoinette Salt and Pepper Shaker” by Terry Kerr. $25. Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. mcachicagostore.org |
I wondered if that fourth paragraph was going to quietly appear. Thanks for the reminder shopping on line at the art galleries is a great idea. I remember when we lived close to Wash D.C. and had the opportunity to visit the National Gallery of Art. Breath taking and a great gift shop. Thanks for the reminder.
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