Art Windsor-Essex draws crowds to big sale supporting local artists

Art Windsor-Essex drew hundreds of visitors for its four-day Art for All sale, showcasing work from nearly 70 local artists.

“This event celebrates the vibrancy of our local arts community and is an opportunity for everyone to discover and support contemporary artists from this region,” said Art Windsor-Essex executive director Jennifer Matotek.

Over the course of the sale, which ran Dec. 4 to 7, Matotek said 15 pieces were sold.

Funds from each sale go directly to the artist. A portion of money raised also helps sustain the gallery’s year-long programs.

Matotek said AWE was flooded by interest in the event. The gallery received more than 300 submissions from over 100 local artists. From those entries, 69 pieces created by 45 regional artists were selected for display.

Art for All was founded by the gallery’s founding director, Kenneth Saltmarche

“His (Saltmarche) thought was, you know, I want to bring artists to Windsor, and I want to bring art into people’s houses in Windsor,” said Matotek.

“So, it was a really popular event for many, many years. I just thought it would be really interesting to sort of bring that back, but to give it a twist, make the focus really be local artists and supporting local talent.”

Rather than holding an auction, AWE opted for a direct sale this year to make the event more accessible to buyers.

Matotek said hundreds attended the sale throughout the weekend. Admission was free on Dec. 5 through Dec. 7.

An opening night reception was held Dec. 4 with food, beverages and live music.

“It was electric,” said Matotek. “It was great.”