32nd Riverdale Art Show and Sale 2022
After a three year wait due to COVID 19 the 32nd edition of The Riverdale Art Show and Sale finally happened with a new date and a new venue. We were trying to have it at the same time as the Taste of the Danforth this year; with the new ramp and having Café TO. Unfortunately, only Café TO happened. The new venue was the church and the new date was Friday August 5th and Saturday August 6th, 2022.
Our plan B used the transept doors and we had 16 tables and 20 fabulous and very diverse GTA artists. There was lots of signage and advertising and we had a steady stream of people. The stairs into the church did not deter most people nor did the heat, and humidity. The church was transformed into a showcase of great art and with the help of the artists, friends and volunteers we were able to show how beautiful a church can be with the stained-glass windows and hundreds of original art pieces to complement each other.
This year we exceeded sales from the last six previous years and made the budget for the church. 52 paintings were sold to loving homes over the 2-day, 10-hour event. These art pieces went as far away as New Jersey, BC, and Barrie, and many to our neighbours in the GTA.
2023 will be an exciting year with the Accessibility Ramp completed and it being the 33rd year of The Riverdale Art Show and Sale.
Our plan B used the transept doors and we had 16 tables and 20 fabulous and very diverse GTA artists. There was lots of signage and advertising and we had a steady stream of people. The stairs into the church did not deter most people nor did the heat, and humidity. The church was transformed into a showcase of great art and with the help of the artists, friends and volunteers we were able to show how beautiful a church can be with the stained-glass windows and hundreds of original art pieces to complement each other.
This year we exceeded sales from the last six previous years and made the budget for the church. 52 paintings were sold to loving homes over the 2-day, 10-hour event. These art pieces went as far away as New Jersey, BC, and Barrie, and many to our neighbours in the GTA.
2023 will be an exciting year with the Accessibility Ramp completed and it being the 33rd year of The Riverdale Art Show and Sale.
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Returning artists
Theo McLaren, William Brisland, Ron Harris, Larraine McMahon-Nelson, Shelley Cinnamon, Yvonne Jamieson, Trish Cummings, Barb Obrai, Joan McDonald, Nora MacPhail, Judy Tarnofsky, Kay Paynter, Nina Hod, Trish Cummings, Marion Wilson, Ramona Ricken, David Bowring New artists for 2022 Linda Borris, David Johns, and Deborah Parrott |
A Brief History of Riverdale Art Show and Sale
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It was the enthusiasm of local artist Jenny Reid that got Riverdale Art started. Designed as a fundraiser for St. Barnabas Church, she was able to sell the idea of an art show to a somewhat reluctant church leadership. In fact, approval was only granted on the condition that the show not cost the church anything at all!
The first show took place on Saturday, June 3, 1989, and included 11 local artists. The format was established for that first show, and remains essentially unchanged. Tables and chairs are set up around the hall, in such a way that three or four rows of paintings could be displayed. Artists can show about twelve paintings, or six each if the display is shared.
Sales transactions are handled centrally by the church, who deduct a small commission, and return the balance of the purchase price to the artist. In addition, each artist pays in advance a table fee, which covers the incidental expenses of the show, the most important of which is advertising, but also including refreshments and administrative expenses. Careful management of expenses has always meant that they have been covered by the table fee, and this is what made it possible to guarantee that the first show would not cost the church anything.
In fact, the success of the first show exceeded all expectations, with 28 paintings being sold, and more than $800 accruing to church funds, to be used for special projects. The minister and wardens responded much more enthusiastically when a second show was proposed, and the show continues to receive strong support, and has become a very popular local event.
The second show also took place in June, but the decision was then made to move to a date in October, based on the assessment that many potential visitors to the show would be away, or otherwise busy in June. The October date is also likely to appeal to those who are thinking about Christmas gifts, and the show has been in October ever since. There have, however, been other adjustments to the timing of the show. To mark the tenth anniversary in 1998 the show was run over two days, Saturday and Sunday, but this format was not continued. Instead a Friday evening showing and artists’ reception was begun in 2001. This has proved very successful, and local art lovers, together with many from further away give strong support to both Friday evening and Saturday daytime viewing.
Support is also strong from local artists, and there is normally a waiting list of prospective participants. About 20 artists take part in the show every year, with a total of more than 120 over the years, many returning from year to year, with up to about 4 or 6 new artists each year. Jenny Reid, who started the show, has been in every one, and several artists have been in 15 to 20 shows.
Two of the artists married during the time they showed their art, and so have appeared under two different names. One artist was legally blind, and an indigenous artist was popular for both the quality of his work, and for the fact that he shared his lunch of curried moose with his neighbour.
Riverdale Art is popular in the community, with people watching for the signs to go up to tell them the dates, then coming in numbers to view and purchase art. The show has developed a well deserved reputation for featuring very high quality art at modest prices, generally in the range of $50 to $500.
Total sales over the 31 years of the show have been in excess of $150,000, with some $30,000 going to Church projects and almost $120,000 to local artists.
In terms of sales, 2004 so far remains the high point, with total sales over $9,000. Art is a discretionary purchase, and sales declined with the economy after 2008.
From 2014 to 2019 we continued to do well with the number of sales of paintings totalling nearly 300 sold which brought in sales of approximately another $35,000, which gave another $7,000 going to more projects within the church.
With the pandemic 2020 and 2021 were on hold as so many people were on lockdowns and the church was closed for a period of time doing a lot of zoom meetings and U Tube services . We are again open and starting to bounce back. With this a new venue and new dates are now confirmed. This year 2022, our 32nd year; we are moving to inside the church and to August. The dates this year are Friday August 5th from 6pm to 9pm and Saturday August 6th from 11am to 6pm.
The success of an art show should not be measured in dollars and cents alone, but in the pleasure given to the viewers and in their feedback to the artists. In these terms Riverdale Art has enjoyed continuing success, and we look forward to many more shows.
The first show took place on Saturday, June 3, 1989, and included 11 local artists. The format was established for that first show, and remains essentially unchanged. Tables and chairs are set up around the hall, in such a way that three or four rows of paintings could be displayed. Artists can show about twelve paintings, or six each if the display is shared.
Sales transactions are handled centrally by the church, who deduct a small commission, and return the balance of the purchase price to the artist. In addition, each artist pays in advance a table fee, which covers the incidental expenses of the show, the most important of which is advertising, but also including refreshments and administrative expenses. Careful management of expenses has always meant that they have been covered by the table fee, and this is what made it possible to guarantee that the first show would not cost the church anything.
In fact, the success of the first show exceeded all expectations, with 28 paintings being sold, and more than $800 accruing to church funds, to be used for special projects. The minister and wardens responded much more enthusiastically when a second show was proposed, and the show continues to receive strong support, and has become a very popular local event.
The second show also took place in June, but the decision was then made to move to a date in October, based on the assessment that many potential visitors to the show would be away, or otherwise busy in June. The October date is also likely to appeal to those who are thinking about Christmas gifts, and the show has been in October ever since. There have, however, been other adjustments to the timing of the show. To mark the tenth anniversary in 1998 the show was run over two days, Saturday and Sunday, but this format was not continued. Instead a Friday evening showing and artists’ reception was begun in 2001. This has proved very successful, and local art lovers, together with many from further away give strong support to both Friday evening and Saturday daytime viewing.
Support is also strong from local artists, and there is normally a waiting list of prospective participants. About 20 artists take part in the show every year, with a total of more than 120 over the years, many returning from year to year, with up to about 4 or 6 new artists each year. Jenny Reid, who started the show, has been in every one, and several artists have been in 15 to 20 shows.
Two of the artists married during the time they showed their art, and so have appeared under two different names. One artist was legally blind, and an indigenous artist was popular for both the quality of his work, and for the fact that he shared his lunch of curried moose with his neighbour.
Riverdale Art is popular in the community, with people watching for the signs to go up to tell them the dates, then coming in numbers to view and purchase art. The show has developed a well deserved reputation for featuring very high quality art at modest prices, generally in the range of $50 to $500.
Total sales over the 31 years of the show have been in excess of $150,000, with some $30,000 going to Church projects and almost $120,000 to local artists.
In terms of sales, 2004 so far remains the high point, with total sales over $9,000. Art is a discretionary purchase, and sales declined with the economy after 2008.
From 2014 to 2019 we continued to do well with the number of sales of paintings totalling nearly 300 sold which brought in sales of approximately another $35,000, which gave another $7,000 going to more projects within the church.
With the pandemic 2020 and 2021 were on hold as so many people were on lockdowns and the church was closed for a period of time doing a lot of zoom meetings and U Tube services . We are again open and starting to bounce back. With this a new venue and new dates are now confirmed. This year 2022, our 32nd year; we are moving to inside the church and to August. The dates this year are Friday August 5th from 6pm to 9pm and Saturday August 6th from 11am to 6pm.
The success of an art show should not be measured in dollars and cents alone, but in the pleasure given to the viewers and in their feedback to the artists. In these terms Riverdale Art has enjoyed continuing success, and we look forward to many more shows.