Tess Atkinson Archives - Page 2 of 2

The SMFA Art Sale 2014 starts this Thursday. It’s also known as the Museum School Art Sale—the art sale that takes place every year at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA), the renown art school adjacent to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston that has been influential part of the Boston art scene since it’s founding in 1876.

There are thousands of pieces of art for sale, hung throughout the galleries on the first floor, and shrink wrapped in bins in the central space. (It’s always fun to flip through and discover amazing finds, whether it’s and inexpensive piece by a student (I once scored tiny abstracts for $12; I often find photos I love for around $100) or additional work by artists whose work is hung in the galleries. Once a piece is sold, it comes off the wall and is immediately replaced by another piece, so the display is in constant rotation.

The Museum School Art Sale offers art in every price range and medium, including oil paintings, acrylic paintings, watercolor paintings, photography, textile art, sculpture, video art (I would love to buy a piece; I still think about one we passed up), ceramics, and jewelry. Pieces are done by SMFA students, alumni, faculty, and affiliated artists. Famous SFMA alums include Cy Twombly, William Barnett, Jim Dine, Ellsworth Kelly, Nan Goldin, and Doug and Mike Starn, many of which have pieces at the sale (and most of which are way out of my price range, obviously).

Each piece at the Museum School Art Sale is priced by the artists, with a fifty/fifty split between the artists and the School. Artwork sold to benefits student scholarships at the School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The SMFA Art Sale 2014 takes place this Thursday to Sunday, November 20, 2014 to November 23, 2014. The hours are 10am-8pm the first three days and Sunday until five.

Here’s a sneak peek of 20 pieces for sale at this year’s Museum School Art Sale. At the end I included links to the posts I did about past years’ Museum School Art Sales. Also, if you’re interested, these are pieces that I’ve purchased at the SMFA Art Sales over the last few years.

Matthew Gamber

Adrienne Shishko

June August

John Guy Petruzzi

Chad Joiner

Dawn Southworth

Asia Kepka

Doug Starn + Mike Starn

Garrett Munski

Carol Daynard

Brian Burkhardt

Tess Atkinson

Beth Welsh

Warren Mather

Lee Essex Doyle

Marsha Perreault

Warren Mather

John Guy Petruzzi

Dawn Southworth

SMFA Art Sale 2014

Here are my posts from past year’s sales:
Artwork from SMFA Art Sale 2013
Artwork from SMFA Art Sale 2012
Artwork from SMFA Art Sale 2011
Artwork from SMFA Art Sale 2009

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A friend of mine told me the other day that they sold their place around the corner and are moving to the suburbs. They feel like they’re ready to take on a house (she’s an interior designer after all) and that their two boys will really appreciate being able to run outside and play. Besides, their school is out there too.

So no more impromptu walks around the river or pizza in her front yard on Halloween (a big Back Bay event). No more calling over to see if my kids can shoot baskets in her courtyard. I hope the new owners keep up her gardens. The little front yards and window boxes are always well-planted.

Of course the interior is gorgeous. Comfortable, but very elegant and sophisticated, just what you’d expect of a Back Bay home of a designer with kids. My favorite part though, is her art collection. A mix of figurative and abstract, contemporary and more traditional, pieces by friends, local artists, and beyond. She has a great eye.