Go Crawling For Art Before Summer Ends
Brooke Tucker-Reid, Lifestyle Writer
GASP! Summer is winding down. Say it ain’t so. With less than a couple months left of lovely summer weather, there are still plenty of fun outdoor activities and events to check out. Have you ever been to an art crawl/walk/fair/festival? You should definitely add it to your before-summer-ends bucket list. Here’s why. Why would I want to go to an art crawl? Until recently, I’d politely decline requests from my mother to attend art festivals. I love spending time with my mother but the idea didn’t sound riveting. But then I saw her collection grow of super cool art, adding vibrancy and polish to our family home and I became envious. My boyfriend and I recently bought a condo together and I wanted it to look sophisticated and unique. Adulting makes you want to do those things I guess. So I bit the bullet and trailed mother dearest to the Riverdale Art Walk in June at Jimmy Simpson Park in Toronto. The haul So I may have gone a little overboard but I totally got sucked in by the energy. I bought six original pieces in total and it only set me back about $500. Most of these art festivals are juried which means artists are selected by the organizers so the quality of their work is top-notch. The sweet thing is artists must offer affordable art as part of their collections so regular Janes like you and I can scoop them up. I even sparked a relationship with one of the artists and I’m totally going to buy more of her work. 
Tips for first timers (and everyone else):
- It’s smart to bring cash, but don’t sweat it if you don’t. Most artists use a Square or a wireless electronic point of sale attached to their mobile phones. If you want to haggle for a better price on a piece, paying in cash will work in your favour.
- If you like an artist’s work, ask them if they would consider commissioning a piece just for you. A few of my friends and family members have done this and paid only $500 for really large, unique, gorgeous paintings. The artist can typically cut you a deal if they don’t have to pay gallery fees or a festival booth rental fee.
- Bring a big bag or bubble wrap to protect your newly purchased art – many artists won’t have packaging to offer.
Look up a local art crawl in your neighbourhood. Here are a few to get you started: September 4-7 –ArtFest at the Distillery (Toronto, Ontario) September 24 – Liberty Village Market (Toronto, Ontario) September 24 – Collingwood Art Crawl (Collingwood, Ontario) October 1&2 – Queen West Art Crawl (Toronto, Ontario) October 21 – 23 – Sunshine Coast Art Crawl (British Columbia – Sunshine Coast Highway from Langdale to Earls Cove)
