Cheaper Show’s Killer Art Sale Is On June 25

How to walk out of Vancouver’s upcoming coolest, most egalitarian and original art sale with a killer (dirt cheap) piece of art.

CHEAP IS THE WORD | Art auctions attended by moneyed insiders have their place, and public institutions like the Vancouver Art Gallery rely on donated art and the proceeds of their sale to pay for future programming everyone will enjoy. But thinking about them makes us grateful for the infinitely more populist Cheaper Show, taking place June 25. It’s easily the coolest, most egalitarian and original (not to mention cheapest) art-buying event in Vancouver.

Local artists Graeme Berglund, Steve “Breadman” Cole and Syx Langeman, who were struggling to get the attention of local galleries, started the Cheaper Show. “Inspired by a lack of opportunity,” Berglund says he and his friends organized the first Cheaper Show 10 years ago to reach a broader audience than the South Granville gallery crowd. “We wanted a more accessible environment,” he says, “one where anyone attending could grab a beer, listen to music and maybe buy their first piece of art.”

The six-hour long Cheaper Show is now the largest single-night cultural art event in Western Canada, showcasing 400 works of art by 200 local and international artists, each piece priced at $200 regardless of market value, which could be as much as $1,000, or even more. Just like at other local fancy fund-raising events, the Cheaper artists have donated their work for the privilege of public exposure (they do recoup $200 if their piece sells), which in the case of the Cheaper Show is both huge and international.

How To Score A Piece At The Cheaper Show

Last year, my husband, kids and I were Cheaper Show virgins who stood in line with a few thousand other people, saw some great art, but came home empty handed because we did not move quick. This year we have a game plan based upon three things we learned.

1. It’s a sprint not a marathon. Do not stand around pondering the merits of a particular work. Make snap decisions. If you don’t, the person next to you will, and then hop on their cell to rattle off the lot number to their partner already standing in line to pay.

2. What you see may not be what you get. While you can read artist profiles and see an example of their work (CLICK HERE for the 2011 catalog), it may or may not be the piece that ends up in the show, so do not waste your time trying to find it. If you run into it, all the better.

3. Pick six and stick with them. Use your phone to document pieces you love and record the numbers that go with them. Then, while you are standing in line to pay, prioritize and cull. Chances are a few of your top six picks will be gone by the time you reach the register. —Ruth Rainey

The Cheaper Show takes place on Saturday, June 25, 6 p.m. to midnight at 188 Kingsway, Vancouver. Entrance by donation ($5 recommended); all artworks are priced at $200. All payments must be in CASH!
For more, visit www.cheapershow.com

Art: Cheaper Show flyer