Art

Do Good, Buy Art

A digital gallery donates part of its proceeds to charity

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Shea’la Finch and Jon Buonaccorsi  know good art. The two established Tiny Showcase on the East Side of Providence in 2004. “We were always amazed by the amount of art being created around us, yet appalled by the lack of access to that art,” Finch says. “If the gallery didn’t want to show it, then no one would see it. And if it was shown, many people [we knew] didn’t feel comfortable going to the galleries. Tiny Showcase was founded on the principles of making art accessible and affordable.”

The internet and museum-quality archival printing methods have created a new forum for both artists and art enthusiasts. Each week, the curators of this digital gallery choose a piece of art and create a limited edition of reproductions. Those prints are released for sale online at 7:30pm every Tuesday. “We feature at least one artist per week, sometimes two. At this point, going on year nine, we’ve worked with hundreds of artists,” Finch says. “We feature both locals and those from around the world, providing them with publicity and financial opportunities.”

Most of the pieces are priced between $20-25. Every week, $250 from each edition is donated to the charity of the artist’s choice. “At this point, I would say the fastest seller is Josh Keyes, with whom we’ve raised over tens of thousands of dollars for organizations like Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders,” she says. “People are enthusiastic to begin collecting art and also to be giving back. We often receive very warm emails from people after they make their first purchase.”

In terms of artist selection, it’s as simple as Finch and Buonaccorsi choosing ones that they both like. “Normally this translates to a highly skilled artist who makes interesting work that’s accessible to a diverse audience,” Finch explains. “We offer affordable high-quality art in a digital environment for even the most remote art enthusiasts. In this way we hope to encourage people to see art as an everyday experience.”

Tiny Showcase has lots of great new editions in a wide array of mediums lined up for the New Year. In addition to traditional prints, they sometimes offer t-shirts, coloring books and pieces that are framed and matted, making for the perfect no-fuss gift.

Art, Charity, Tiny Showcase, East Side Providence

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