Cleveland Heights’ Art Spot hosts the 100 Show, an annual, one-night-only, cash-and-carry art sale to help subsidize Cleveland Institute of Art’s (CIA) annual student trip to New York City. For more than a decade, the trip has become a tradition. The 100 Show is a fantastic opportunity to support these aspiring young artists and score a very affordable work by one of them (or their professors) in the process.
“For art communities to really work, to be really exciting – there has to be buy-in from the community” explains Lane Cooper, associate professor and chair of CIA’s painting department. “Adam Fleischer’s donation of space within the Wine Spot to create Art Spot is a wonderful example of this. The Art Spot allows our students to have the professional experience of presenting work in a space outside of CIA and to an audience they wouldn’t normally reach. The shows have been tremendous in giving students this opportunity and the annual 100 Show really allows our students to see how a fundraiser can work to benefit a cause that directly matters to them.”
The NYC pilgrimage offers students an unparalleled experience and exposure to many of the artists they’ve studied in class. For many students, this is their first exposure to the New York art scene during a particularly busy time of the year. Typical trips include stops at the Armory Show, Whitney Biennial, MoMa, the Metropolitan Museum, the New Museum, CIA alumni’s studios and the galleries throughout NYC’s many boroughs. Last year’s Armory Show alone presented work represented by more than 200 galleries from nearly 30 countries around the world.
Additionally, the trip usually starts with a CIA alumni party, offering students an extra opportunity to network and gain crucial firsthand insight from artists, designers and industry professionals that were once in their position. While the impact of the experience varies for each student, the value of this action-packed trip is incalculable. These students are sure to return inspired and motivated to raise the proverbial bar with their own work in their own community.
“The New York trip is a great experience for students on a lot of levels,” says Cooper. “We go to galleries, museums, the Whitney when the Biennial is running and we do studio visits. Last year we visited the studios of some of our alums living in New York and, thanks to connections from Tony Ingrisano (assistant professor in painting), students got to meet two remarkable and highly celebrated artists, Clare Grill and Julie Heffernan. The trip is open to all CIA students and the 100 Show helps keep the costs down so we can stay longer and do more things.”
You can show your support for this opportunity and the students themselves by purchasing a high quality work of art at the 100 Show this Friday, Nov. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. All works will be priced at $100, and are donated by CIA’s current students, faculty and alumni. Half of the proceeds help offset the costs and the other half goes directly to the artist.
“With the help of a faculty advisor, Mike Meier in this case, students do most of the work for the show including collecting and installing the work,” explains Cooper. “It’s sometimes one of the first places that the public gets to discover, and buy work from, some really remarkable up and coming talent. It’s a flat price of $100 for work with $50 of that going directly to the artists and $50 going to support the Painting Department’s annual New York trip. We’ve got some great young artists in the 100 Show this year and the faculty will be putting in work too. It is going to be really exciting – so if you want some great work that’s too reasonably priced come check it out.”
This cash-and-carry event is first come, first served, so get there early for the best selection. Admission is free.
(100 Show at Wine Spot) 2271 Lee Rd., Cleveland Hts., cia.edu,