Collecting art is an extravagance that too many people are willing to do without and when the economy is floundering, artists are among the first ones to feel the squeeze. As a result, more and more of them are turning to printmaking, a process that allows artists to produce multiples of the same piece and sell them as original editions since they aren’t actually reproductions but impressions. Artists save a great deal of time, energy and money to make prints and the savings are passed on to consumers. The recession-conscious PrintReady is held to entice these potential consumers. Presented by Bessie Art Productions – made up of co-curators Nessie Fernandez and Becca Nelson – the show includes new and previously created printwork, photography, and apparel items by Brandon Dunlap, Chris Parks, Daniel Williams, Joel Cook, Nick Gomez, Bask, Pat Fatica, Andrew Spear, SmileMaker, Mike DeLach, Erik Jones, Heather Dykstra and Melisa Taylor. An opening is held 6 p.m. to midnight Thurs., Feb. 12, with complimentary hors d’ouevres until 8 p.m. and spins by DJ Mega throughout. Presented through March 12, Nova 535 Art Lounge, 535 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg, free admission. Pictured: “Back in the Woods, Under Ashes, There Are Stones,” by Patrick Fatica.
This article appears in Feb 11-17, 2009.