“Art and Value”  February 12 – March 16, 2013

For the month of February we are featuring select works of art that answer the question “What is Value?”

When I started to select works of art for this group exhibition, I wanted to think about buying art from our client’s perspective.  During the process, the word “value” kept on ringing in my head.  What gives a work of art value?  Why is an object worth the asking price?  Is value simply an abstract concept or is it based on practical, concrete factors.

I concluded that what gives artwork value is a combination of elements: the artist’s education, exhibition history, critical acknowledgment, public collections, commercial success, and of course, perhaps, the most important – originality and quality.

I, therefore, determined to only hang artwork that answered to this strict criteria.  I chose pieces that either had been looked over or missed in previous exhibitions, but also were strong representations by each artist: Margot Ariss, Aganetha Dyck, Jonathan Forrest, Will Gorlitz, Wanda Koop, Ron Moppett, William Perehudoff, Michael Smith, Diana Thorneycroft and Ed Zelenak.

Additionally, in a way for me to explore the idea further, I decided to hang works of art in the middle gallery that were all under $4000.  Smaller pieces by Dyck, Forrest, Koop, Perehudoff and Zelenak made it into the middle gallery along with work by younger emerging artists and some gems by established artists.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on what you think gives art value.

Jennie Kraehling, Associate Director