Estevan area residents were able to interact with a number of talented artists during the second annual House Artist Showcase at Art Concepts Custom Framing Thursday night.
The artists who have their artwork on display at Art Concepts turned out to promote their work and chat with the public.
“It’s an opportunity for our house artists to bring in their new pieces and showcase them for the holiday season,” said Byron Fichter, who owns the building where Art Concepts is located.
Fichter was among the artists participating. So was Art Concepts owner Theresa Fuhr. Other participants were local favourites Michael Lonechild, Deanna Brown, Lindsay Arnold, Lauren Daae and Wade Kotelo.
“I think it’s important for our artists to get to put a face to their work,” said Fichter. “When people get to come in and converse with the artists, they get the full meaning behind the piece, and they can kind of understand the history and the thought process in the creation in the first place.
“Most artists put their soul into their work, and when you get the story and the background on it, it really helps you understand the piece and understand what the artist was thinking at the time when they made it.”
House artists who couldn’t make it were Roland Daum, a former Humboldt resident now living in Calgary, along with Kirk Sexton of the White Bear First Nation, and members of Parsons Dietrich Pottery in Moose Jaw and Lake Front Treasures Pottery in White Bear.
Fichter said last year’s inaugural event started when he and Fuhr brainstormed what they could do for their artists. He likes doing trade shows and meeting people, so they tried the showcase.
“It was a huge success last year, and so we thought we’ll try it again this year,” said Fichter.
They believe any opportunity artists get to talk to people about their work is a positive.
Since the public has been limited in the amount of time they can get out of the house, Art Concepts was hoping for a good turnout this year.
Lonechild, who lives at White Bear, said he did very well when he participated in the showcase last year. He has had his paintings at Art Concepts since the business opened in 2017. He currently has four small originals and one large one for sale, and he also has six prints available.
“I’ve known Theresa for most of my life,” said Lonechild. “She did a lot of framing for me in the past, and it kind of evolved from there. She’d sell some art for me, and it’s been a good relationship.”
He has sold a lot of prints through Art Concepts. The House Artist Showcase was a great way to promote his work.
“Even though you don’t sell something in one night, there are after effects with follow-ups that create interest with people,” he said. “Some people take time to think about it for a while before they buy everything, and decide whether they want to spend that kind of money.”
When the pandemic hit in March, business stopped, but after a few months, sales picked up again, and he’s pleased that people are still interested in purchasing nice art.
