By Bronwyn Scott
Published: July 2, 2013
The Squamish library has 43 works of art for loan, art created by the likes of Emily Carr and local icons like Linda Wagner and Maureen Brown, yet nobody has borrowed a single painting this year.
There is no fee required, just a credit card or cheque deposit to ensure against damages, and anyone with a library card can borrow up to three items at a time for a three-month period.
The Art for Loan program has been around for several years but it hasn’t been popular, despite the fact that lending art works for both the artist and the borrower, says local painter Linda Wagner.
Her work “Evening Light” is one of the many original pieces for loan.
“One of the benefits is people can access my work without paying for it,” Wagner said.
“The benefit for me other than selling the work [to the library] is that my work can be used by several people to accessorize their home . . . which gives me exposure,” she said.
Wagner has esteemed company in the art available for loan in the library.
Emily Carr’s Scorned as Time Beloved of Sky waits to be loaned out, along with Head of an Old Woman by Peter Rubens.
Just three blocks down the road at Portico Gallery, there is a similar art-lending program. It has also had limited success.
“It isn’t popular, I’m more popular with layaways,” said Linda Bachman, owner of Portico Gallery.
“I don’t know why it’s not successful here either.”
Bachman does, however, have partnerships with some businesses that rent artists’ work on a rotational basis for a monthly fee.
She keeps a list of artists interested in renting their work and when there’s an inquiry, Bachman chooses a selection appropriate for the client.
The prices are determined by the sizes of the works being rented and by consultation with the artist.
“That way other people can enjoy it and get use out of it, and it also gives the artist exposure,” she said, adding that there is no charge to the artist and that they don’t receive anything unless they get a sale.
But simply loaning art for free has been curiously unpopular.
“I guess it’s just something that this area isn’t really too interested in,” said Bachman.
Lately Ella-Fay Zalezsak, the library director, has been trying to raise the profile of Art for Loan by making it more prominent on the library website and reaching out to the business community.
“I thought new businesses would be more likely to need something on their walls, and so this collection is there to help support them,” she said.
The library collection contains features B.C. artists and spans a broad artistic milieu. It includes original as well as reproduced works.
Linda Bachman says
Correction to the extended Portico Gallery showcases/
There is also no fee charged for these selected pieces of artwork offered to the other venues. We simply offer an opportunity to promote the artists and decoration their walls.