Arguably the best original art sale in the Twin Cities, the annual MCAD art sale at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, expands to Thursday night this year (Nov. 18). Another piece of good news for die-hard fans is that additional pieces will be added on the second and third days of the show.
The not so good news for people on a budget is that the first night (6-9 p.m.), which used to cost $35 in advance and $40 at the door, is now $150. You get free drinks, appetizers and valet parking for the event, as well first chance to buy.
The second night, now Friday Nov. 19 from 6-9 p.m., is still $35 or $40 to get in, but as I mentioned earlier, artists can choose to restock on Friday and Saturday. There is a cash bar Friday night, $5 valet parking and free appetizers.
Saturday is still free from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. along with a free art studio for kids.
To see a representative sampling of pieces from this year's sale, go to the slide show. The MCAD art show is a gallery of thousands of pieces by MCAD students and recent alumni. No piece can cost more than $1,000 and most smaller pieces are less than $100. Fans line up about 30 to 45 minutes before the velvet ropes come down on Thursday and Friday just to be one of the first to nab a Samantha French painting, for example.
If you haven't been to the sale before, I highly recommend it. Below: a painting from Samantha French, available at this year's event. Usually, her works sell for $500 to $900, depending on size.
