By Alejandro Bastidas
It is a principal characteristic of SCAD to promote and support the excellent work produced by notorious students, alumni, and faculty within the institution; which is the reason behind the annual Open Studio Night.
The fourteenth version of the event will be held from November 1-2 at the Atlanta campus. Artists will have the opportunity to showcase their best work to the public and have them up for sale. This process behind this comprises of different aspects mostly unknown to the SCAD community, but it is interesting to analyze how the business side of art functions.
Open Studio Night is possible to SCAD Art Sales, “A premier, full-service art consultancy offering distinctive design and curatorial services to a global clientele of collectors and public and private-sector businesses and organizations,” states the SCAD website.
According to Rachel Evans, the SCAD Art Sales director, this year they received 900 applicants for the exhibition, compared to last year’s 700; and due to the large crowd of last year, the Open Studio Night will go on for two days. Before gates open to the public, there will also be a private preview for recurring collectors and companies who are the prioritized buyers, invited by Evans.
Common clients are interior designers working on large projects or renown hotel chains and airlines such as Delta, searching for decorative artworks specifically from SCAD. Other notable clients include the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Georgia and the Heathrow Airport in London, as seen on the SCAD Art Sales website.
Pricing art might be complicated at first, photography student Lindsey Calhoun who has several photographs selected for the Open Studio Night, said, “I asked my professor for help as I didn’t have a clear idea of the exact price and worth of my work. He told me to consider the amount of time spent in development and editing, the concept behind the piece, and the personal value. Then he suggested an amount and I went for it.”
Evans also explained that when a student has sold a piece and completed the necessary paperwork, SCAD handles the rest of the business and ensures that the piece is received by the collector with all shipping costs covered. However, SCAD does obtain thirty percent of the price of each work while the rest goes to the artist.
The works that aren’t sold during Open Studio Night may still remain in the exhibition throughout the school year. “SCAD Art Sales often invites different collectors who might take interest in an exhibited work even after Open Studio Night has passed,” says SCAD alumni Carolina Monestel.