I have long admired the work of NURTUREart, an art non-profit now located in the heart of Bushwick at 56 Bogart Street that is "dedicated to nurturing new contemporary art by providing exhibition opportunities and resources for emerging artists, curators and public school students." One way that NURTUREart connects to the greater arts community is through its annual benefit, where hundreds of artists and collectors come together each year and, for the price of admission (as little as $225), you get to take home a work of art.
I am always excited to see the artists selected for exhibition, which includes many familiar names from the Bushwick art scene. These benefits therefore offer an excellent way to assemble an art collection on a budget. In a recent interview with Artspace, Barry Hoggard and James Wagner describe how they have built a major collection through benefits "like NurtureArt or Momenta. Those are the main ones we've been involved with."
This year I am honored to serve as a juror reviewing artist submissions to the benefit. The call for artists is open until September 1. Tickets are also now on sale for the gala evening on October 28. Don't miss out on this fun event for a worthy cause.
-IN THE PRESS
Take a look at the Wall Street Journal's account of the great benefit evening, "Throwing Elbows at an Art Show."
Attendees of NurtureArt's annual benefit on Monday night maneuvered a juried collection of 265 works of art with focus and diligence, quickly claiming pieces to call their own. For $275, ticket holders could bring home a work of art of their choosing, and for $175 more, they could select a second work.
"The ability to get art from NurtureArt is one of the best things you can do as a collector," James Panero, one of the event's four jurors, said. "The artwork that is donated is at a very high quality and it tends to represent many Brooklyn and Bushwick artists."