free art friday

This Friday, January 2, keep your eye out for art hanging in the most unusual spots in Montclair. Perhaps you’ll see a painting on a bench in Anderson Park. Or a photograph hung on a lamppost. Maybe a collage leaning against a storefront on Church Street. There will be random, beautiful works of art in places you wouldn’t expect. And they will be yours for the taking, because it’s Free Art Friday.

A Free Art Friday event is an art scavenger hunt started about 10 years ago by a British artist named My Dog Sighs, which then started popping up in cities around the world, and now, thanks to Jennifer Ley, it will happen in Montclair this weekend.

“I decided to launch Free Art Friday in Montclair after reading about the “movement” in the NY Times. I was able to see that other towns around the globe are doing this, and thought it would be a perfect activity for Montclair artists,” says Ley, a real estate agent who has also worked an online community builder in the art world since the late 90’s.

Ley feels confident that Montclair is just the town for this kind of event. “We know Montclair has its “modern” roots in being an arts community, just look at the legacy of the Montclair Art Museum and artists/founders like William Couper (whose house I sold 5 years ago on Upper Mountain) who came here years ago.”

Free Art Friday

Here’s how it works:
If you want to be a participating artist, place an artwork (done by yourself, or by someone else) in a location of your choosing in Montclair. Take a photo of it and upload with enough information to help someone find it on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #FAFMTCLR.

It’s up to the “scavengers” to use visual or textual hints — a street sign or a piece of a mural — to figure out the location of the work and get there and grab it before someone else does.

You can get updates on the Free Art Friday Montclair Facebook Page and check out the NYC community and other Free Art Friday groups around the world here.

“Starting it now was serendipitous — perfect time of year for a new, spontaneous, free for anyone who wants to participate to do so, activity that supports what I love about Montclair,” says Ley and adds excitingly,”It should be fun to see what happens on Friday!”

(Top photo: Flickr)

 

 

11 replies on “Free Art Friday Scavenger Hunt This Friday in Montclair”

  1. As a working artist, the idea of giving away artwork really devalues the skill and talent of artists. There also appears to be no real ‘end’ result to this other than someone thinking they are clever. It is difficult enough to get people out to the Art Walk, the best way to support the arts is to purchase artwork. perhaps MS.Ley should waive her commission fees for the day – just for a fun Montclair activity!

  2. what a cool, fun thing to do!

    I disagree that it devalues the skill/talent of the artist since those who value a particular piece have to search it out. A payment of time, if you will, acknowledging each artist.

    And it’s only for one day.

  4. It’s also a way to get people who may not normally be interested in art to pay attention. And maybe, just maybe, that person or those people will be buying art from now on. Generally, exposure to the arts is a good thing. And it’s fun!

    And like caphilly said, it’s only one day, and no one is forcing you to give your work away. You can if you want to, pretty simple.

  5. Totally agree with robbeyond. There’s an idea out there in the public domain that the work that artists do is somehow less valuable than the work of other professions. Many people have no problem thinking that if they offer an artist a stage on which to perform that they don’t then have to pay them for their performance. It’s like telling your plumber that you don’t need to pay them because your house has pipes.
    If anyone watched the Kennedy Center Honors last night, we might be reminded of this quote from JFK:
    “I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL REWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS AS WE REWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS OR STATECRAFT. I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL STEADILY RAISE THE STANDARDS OF ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENT AND WHICH WILL STEADILY ENLARGE CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH COMMANDS RESPECT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD NOT ONLY FOR ITS STRENGTH BUT FOR ITS CIVILIZATION AS WELL.”

  8. I have a great idea! Free real estate agent Friday! This will be an activity that supports what I love about Montclair: beautiful houses! Here’s how it works: if you are a real estate agent, find a spot in Montclair, take a selfie, and post it on Twitter with the hashtag #FreeRealEstateAgent. People will find you in town and you will give them free real estate services. No commission sales! No commission rentals! No commission purchases!

    It should be fun to see what happens on Friday!

  10. This from the Facebook Page and one of the families who enjoyed Free Art Friday:

    “My family had a lot of fun today hunting for free art in Montclair. Most important my kids and myself are now inspired to create our own art so that we could plant our own in a cool location during the hunt for someone else to enjoy… Great Fun Today!!! Thank You!!!”

Comments are closed.