The Night I Fell in Love With Art
So this is where the cool kids hangout… was my first thought as I entered the expansive gallery space for The Cheaper Show. Hundreds of hipsters were milling about, taking in the art work of 200 artists, 75 per cent from Vancouver, the rest from across the country and around the globe. The transformed space on Kingsway and East 10th was carefully curated so that viewers could make their way around the outskirts of the room examining the art pieces, while mingling in the centre.
Making art accessible
The Cheaper Show was celebrating its 10th Anniversary as Western Canada’s largest, single-night cultural
event. The purpose of this annual event is to break down barriers between artists and the community, selling all the work at a uniform, affordable price.
Appreciating art
My second thought was, am I going to have to pretend I understand art? I appreciate art, I am esthetically drawn to certain styles of art, but carrying on a conversation about various forms and techniques is way beyond my knowledge.
As I made my way around the room, taking photos of the art work that appealed to me, I began to realize that there is something inherently beautiful in work that was masterfully created by loving hands. The intricate details of each piece clearly communicated the long, tedious hours put into turning the artists’ vision into a reality.
I didn’t have to be able to talk about art to understand that. One of the hostesses informed me that on the day of the sale, crowds line up as early as 6:00 a.n. to get first dibs on their favorite pieces. It’s a mad dash as soon as the doors open.
Creating an impression
By the end of my tour of The Cheaper Show, I was sold. Up until that moment I was willing to settle for art from Ikea (or shamefully, the loonie store). Now I understand why people are willing to pay a small fortune for a piece. And the beauty of The Cheaper Show was that each piece was being sold for $200. A mere fraction of what they were worth!
Are there any other moms here? was my third thought as I bumped my pregnant belly through the crowd, “Oops, excuse me. Make room for two!”
Enjoying a night out
I soon determined The Cheaper Show is not an event for families with young children. There were way too many tempting, valuable things to knock over and pristine, white walls to leave dirty fingerprints on. However, the show made a wonderful date night for the hubby and I. As the night went on, I began to notice babes in Ergo carriers and parents with their adult children enjoying an evening of art appreciation.
I was stopping some of the cool looking art folks to capture pictures and there were two very, cute ladies in awesome attire that I took a shot of. After I snapped it, they came up to me and exclaimed, “We’re moms too!”
I was caught off guard because they were the coolest looking mamas ever (apparently I have misconceptions about constraints on mommy style)! The Cheaper Show gave these interior designer moms a perfect excuse for a ladies night out.
To sum up my experience of The Cheaper Show, I would say, “It was the night I fell in love with art.”
Looking ahead
There’s no better way to spend a Friday evening than enjoying culture and community. Thankfully, The Cheaper Show is an annual event, so if you missed out this year, it’s not your only chance to view and purchase amazing works of art at an affordable price.
To stay updated on this even,t you can check out The Cheaper Show site or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Michelle Gadd is a wife, mom and the creator of Elasticpantcity.com, a blog dedicated to examining how motherhood has shaped, stretched and influenced Michelle’s lifestyle.
