Each year, students at the Cleveland Institute of Art take an extracurricular spring break trip to New York City. The annual trip has been a tradition for students at CIA for more than a decade. The visit expands the students’ perspective on contemporary art far beyond their classrooms. To help fund the trip, students and faculty organize an art sale to help students afford this exciting and important experience.
Cleveland Heights’ ArtSpot at WineSpot hosts the 100 Show, an annual one-night-only, cash-and-carry art sale to help subsidize CIA’s NYC trip. The ArtSpot also showcases student work from the Cleveland Institute of Art in regular intervals year-round. For the community, the 100 Show is an opportunity to support these student artists and acquire affordable, original local artwork in the process.
The NYC pilgrimage offers CIA students an unparalleled experience and exposure to many of the artists they’ve studied in their classes. For many students, this is their first exposure to the New York art scene during a particularly busy time of the year. Past trips have included stops at the Armory Show, Whitney Biennial, MoMa, the Metropolitan Museum, the New Museum, as well as CIA alumni’s studios and the galleries throughout the city.
Additionally, the trips usually start 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.
“On the trip, students visit Museums, Chelsea and Lower East Side Galleries, artists' studios, and spend time at the Armory show,” says Michael Meier, Lecturer in Painting, Drawing and Foundations at CIA, as well as director of the ArtSpot student gallery. Together with the Painting Department at CIA, Meier helps organize the 100 Show. “We also often meet with curators and art professionals who talk about their time and experience in New York as well as give tours and talks about exhibitions and projects they are involved with. In 2014 we were given a tour and curatorial walkthrough by Michelle Grabner when she curated the 4th floor of the Whitney Biennial. This offers students a level of insight to market, curatorial, studio practice and professional artistic and creative living that surrounds the visual arts in a cultural center like New York.”
All works are priced at $100, and donated by CIA’s current students, faculty, alumni and friends. Half of the proceeds help offset the costs and the other half goes directly to the artist. “We believe that artists should be compensated for their time and effort especially in Cleveland,” Meier says.
The 100 Show takes place at ArtSpot at Winespot from 7 to 10 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 18. Purchases are made on a first come, first served basis, so guests are encouraged to arrive early for the best selection. However, any unsold work will remain on view and for sale through Nov. 25.
(100 Show at Wine Spot) 2271 Lee Rd., Cleveland Hts., cia.edu
