Co-president Delaney Fletcher says the sale gives young artists a first look at the art market
The Mt.A Fine Arts Society’s (FAS) fall Show and Sale will take place Nov. 13 and 14 in the Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts (PCCA) lobby. Delaney Fletcher and Abigail Poirier, this year’s FAS co-presidents, take the mantle of leading this year’s events.
The Show and Sale is a student-run art sale held once a semester in the PCCA lobby, featuring prints, photos, paintings, and other artwork. Beyond selling art, it gives young artists a chance to experience selling their work: a chance that Fletcher takes seriously.
“It’s almost a glimpse into what the art world will look like for them when they are upper years and once they’ve graduated,” Fletcher said. She added that the event serves as a first step towards selling in the art market.
The sale requires strong logistical coordination, especially its timing. Fletcher said the planning starts in the first weeks of the semester, with the executive team of the FAS figuring out a sweet spot. “We need to book the lobby, but not too early, because students need time to make artwork they can sell, and not too late, because people start worrying about final exams,” Fletcher said.
Planning also involves information meetings, in which student artists are given training on what to expect from the event, emphasizing deadlines, regulations, and giving resources needed for a successful show.
“We explain what to expect from the mandatory one-hour table shift, which lets people get the gist of handling cash and interacting with customers,” Fletcher said, adding that the training also includes the finer details, covering when to set up and take down, and how to arrange the artwork on the table.
Fletcher said that while preparing for the event is difficult, it is eased by past presidents, who explained how to run the Show and Sale. She also expressed her gratitude to the rest of the executive team, who are assisting with the event’s administrative work and outreach.
As the art sale draws closer, Fletcher’s main goal is for both sellers and buyers to gain something valuable from the Show and Sale. “I want sellers to feel proud of themselves and
their work, and not get upset if something hasn’t sold. They just need to find the right market,” Fletcher said. She emphasized that Sackville has a specific audience and hopes that students do not get discouraged if their artwork does not sell.
For buyers, she wants them to open their horizons about buying art. “I don’t want them to look at something a student has spent a lot of time on and say, ‘That’s too expensive’ or ‘That’s not worth my money.’” She adds that art is subjective, and people will find something they like as they look.
Even for non-buyers, she hopes they will still show up. “We love seeing people walk around and look at the artwork, and we like hearing comments like ‘that’s super cool.’ We really like the foot traffic, even if there aren’t a million sales,” Fletcher said.
More information about the Show and Sale can be found on the FAS Instagram page @mtafinearts.society.