My best childhood friend is getting 50. So, I wanted to make her a special present. What is the most unique present you can give to a loved one – an art piece? But it is s also the most difficult choice, as art is very subjective. An art surprise can be good or bad. How can we make sure it is a good gift for an art lover?
Unless you know someone perfectly well, it is difficult to buy artwork without the risk to make a wrong choice. Maybe this is the reason art gifts are not the number one choice when it comes to special occasions. Although it could be.
One good way is to let the person choose himself. This means you will have a happy face at the end, but your wallet may be affected more than planned. Ideally, you do not want that the person knows how much you pay. This can also push your art lover or friend to choose not exactly what they like to respect a financial limit.
A mediator can help
Introducing a curator, or gallerist who can manage the process may be a bold solution. The mediator can check interest and can then based on your budget suggest artworks, from which the client can choose. So, both sides stay happy, and the risks of art not being displayed are off the table. and maybe they can negotiate a lower price and so earn a bit for themselves.
If you know an artist yourself, this can be also a great way not only to make a gift but generate a whole experience around choosing this picture. One can discuss with the artist the budget and ask the author to present artworks in this range.
Artisan solutions
Another good way to introduce art gifts into our repertoire of presents is of course looking for good replicas, for designer shops and for places where handmade items are offered. The value, in the long run, is not going to grow, but at least it can be unique.
While buying a present, many do not think about others in need. Many separate donations from the activity of making presents. In business life, many companies choose to donate instead of buying partner presents. A great trend in fact, though it kills the gesture of saying thank you for your cooperation.
There are solutions to have it all these days.
One can buy an art gift, which due to its limited availability can be valuable, and can donate to a good cause at the same time. Many places offer such linked services.
Charity gift shops
Charity shops are getting more and more popular. They are not limited to a second-hand fashion place, where people donate their branded clothes so that less wealthy people can enjoy a high-end jacket cheaper plus there is extra for the cause.
I have seen many good examples of charity shops already. The one I especially like is the one on the Red Cross in the UK, where we see also art gifts included. Museum shops also are a good example, of how a museum can generate extra funds.
The “Help! i need some art.” initiative shall help you make a good art gift and help artists
When starting our “Help! i need some art” initiative we were looking at ways how to bring art into people’s life and support artists and creative projects. As a non-profit organization the HINSA.ART Foundation is not looking for donations in the first place. We believe that we need to offer real value by giving people something useful and desirable and generating support from this.
We looked at charity shops dealing with art, but there are few. Therefore, our charity shop came to life. The main aim is to generate support for our artists’ community.
We take artwork – not specifically designed for any of our products, but a picture meant to be on someone’s wall. We give a second life to it on our limited edition artisan selection – keeping it still unique to preserve its value. Of course, you can still buy the picture, but we do not sell those.
We hope to set an excellent example of a unique, ethical way to support artists.
Each sale made via the charity shop generates a donation to the HINSA.ART Foundation. Further, the artists get direct support via the paid license fee. We work with artists on the designs and concepts, generating so further income for those.
If you know a good art-related charity shop let us know – we would love to cooperate.
We believe being good is nice thus our slogan: ….ethics is esthetics!