Student Art Sale and Indigenous Winter Market Unite for Biggest Sale Ever!
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From Nov. 21 to 23 at ECU, join culture lovers from across the Lower Mainland to collect work from emerging practitioners at an art and design extravaganza!
For the first time in Emily Carr University of Art + Design’s (ECU) history, the legendary Student Art Sale (SAS) and the incredible Indigenous Winter Market are joining forces to offer an art and design experience of epic proportions!
From Nov. 21 to 23, 2024, these two exceptional events offer an unparalleled opportunity to collect one-of-a-kind pieces from the finest emerging artists and designers.
“The Student Art Sale is an amazing way to support emerging practitioners and help foster their careers,” says second-year Master of Design student Morgan Martino, whose handmade rope bowls and risograph prints are among her offerings in this year’s event. “It’s a unique space for students to put their work into the public in a safe, welcoming environment. It sets you up for success down the road. Also, some of the freshest ideas are coming out of ECU, and to get a window into that rich, lush world is a real treat.”
“Some of the freshest ideas are coming out of ECU,” says Morgan Martino, whose rope bowls are among the offerings at this year’s Student Art Sale. (Photos by Perrin Grauer)
For more than 50 years, the SAS has offered Vancouverites the chance to view and purchase works by the next generation of emerging practitioners. This year, in combination with the Indigenous Winter Market, which is run by and located in the Aboriginal Gathering Place (AGP) at ECU, the sale includes more than 250 participants. At the joint event, expect to find a wide range of works, including original paintings, drawings, ceramics and sculpture, as well as printmaking, photography, illustration, housewares, wearables, and jewelry.
Third-year Visual Arts student Kimberly Ronning, who can be found at the Indigenous Winter Market (IWM), will have handmade ceramics and accessories available for purchase. Kimberly notes the AGP often hosts workshops leading up to the sale to help prepare students and get them excited for the cultural aspects of creativity.
“We come together before the sale and then we're in the sale together,” she says of IWM participants. “We build together from stage one and get to share our identities in unique ways with the public and with each other. It gives us a chance to preserve our cultures and to express our traditions in new ways and bring that to the broader community. It’s such a lively place to be, and there are so many new ideas and new concepts on display.”
“It gives us a chance to preserve our cultures and to express our traditions in new ways and bring that to the broader community,” says artist Kimberly Ronning, who will be selling her ceramics and accessories at this year’s Indigenous Winter Market. (Top courtesy Kimberly Ronning / bottom by Perrin Grauer)
Fourth-year Communication Design student Samaah Siddiqui will offer a selection of paintings, drawings and prints at the SAS.
“The art sale was the first place I ever sold my art, and seeing someone buy something I made was a special experience,” she says. “And it isn’t just visual artists selling their work. Students from all majors, from film to communication design, are selling a diverse range of things, and they’re right at the point of becoming professional artists. So, this is the moment to catch them.”
“This is the moment to catch them,” says artist and designer Samaah Siddiqui, whose ink drawings are among her available works at this year's Student Art Sale. (Images courtesy Samaah Siddiqui)
Fourth-year Visual Arts student Lucas Mindzak is one of the SAS’s most sought-after artists. This year, he’ll be showing dozens of his gorgeous oil paintings, which are consistently among the first items to find new homes.
“This sale is by far the best way to see up-and-coming artists in Vancouver,” he says. He notes that selling art is an enormous confidence booster and that he, like many of his fellow students, includes his name and website on the back of all his works.
“When you buy a piece, feel free to reach out to the artist,” he continues. “One of my favourite experiences was receiving a video showing a painting I’d spent a full month on hanging above the fireplace in someone’s home. Artists love to see where their art goes after the sale. It’s amazing to put a smile on their face by reaching out and letting them know you appreciate their work.”
(Top): Lucas Mindzak, Pucker, oil on canvas. | (Bottom): Lucas Mindzak, Untitled, oil on canvas. (Images courtesy Lucas Mindzak)
Don’t miss out! The SAS and Indigenous Winter Market take place at ECU on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 5 pm to 9 pm, Friday, Nov. 22, from noon to 8 pm, and Saturday, Nov. 23, from noon to 6 pm.
Attendance is free and open to the public.
Visit the SAS event page for details on parking, transit and more!