A Gift That’s For Life, Not Just For Christmas
As opposed to watching loved ones unwrap novelty socks on Christmas morning, why not give them a gift that they’ll love for a lifetime?
While the socks are inevitably tossed aside and forgotten about before anyone has even sat down for Christmas dinner, a piece of original art is the gift that keeps on giving.
Carlisle art gallery, Edwin Talbot are encouraging Christmas shoppers to consider investing in a work of art for their loved ones this year. Over the last 18 months the gallery has worked hard to build strong relationships with a variety of artists of local, national and even international acclaim. The work on offer ranges from contemporary and abstract to fine art and floral and the iconic Graham Twyford Carlisle prints; from a traditional lakeland landscape for mum and dad, to playful pieces perfect for the little one’s bedroom.
Gallery Owner, Ben Heslop, who believes art is the perfect gift for everyone, said: “Art is such a personal thing that if someone falls in love with a piece, they will really cherish it.
And just in time for Christmas, an initiative set up by Arts Council England is making original art accessible to everyone and every budget too. In place at the Edwin Talbot gallery, the Own Art scheme makes buying art easy and affordable. There is no deposit to put down and payment is made in 10 instalments over 10 months with 0% interest.
The reasoning behind Own Art is to encourage people to view art as a viable purchase and to support living artists who are making a career from creating original art. As Ben explained: “There is genuinely no catch. Arts Council England are funding this as part of their work to help promote artists in the UK, they are not trying to make money, so there is no cost to the customer.
“All of our original art is for sale in this way, you simply come in, see something you like and walk away with the piece of art that day.”
It’s not surprising then, that the scheme has proved popular so far, Ben added: “It suddenly turns it into the price of what people spend on coffee each month, or a gym membership. As opposed to that initial outlay, which can sometimes be a barrier, this makes it far more manageable.”
Aside from the cost, one of the biggest barriers Ben finds preventing people from purchasing art is what they believe to be a “lack of knowledge”. But actually, there really is nothing to know. Buying art for enjoyment – which most are – raises only one question, do you love the piece or not?
Ben said: “I love art because when you look at a piece, for whatever reason, it just makes you smile, remember, or simply lights something inside your brain, it gives you many different feelings inside and it will continue to do that. Even if you can’t explain exactly why you enjoy looking at it, that is the piece of art for you, that is what you want in your house to brighten up your day.”
When the perfect piece has been picked, the gallery also offers picture framing services to add the finishing touches. But with the team already working round the clock like Santa’s elves, to make sure the gifts ready in time for Christmas, Ben advised: “If people want framing, it’s best to get it in nice and early so we can guarantee we’ll get it done. The art is a bit different, if we’ve got it on the walls people can come in and buy it right up to Christmas Eve, all we have to do is wrap it up!”
Take note, anyone who has left it until the last minute again. This year, watch them unwrap a gift that’s for life, not just for Christmas.
To find out more about the Own Art scheme visit www.edwintalbot.co.uk
