Ann Arbor, Ypsi artists to welcome buyers into their studios as part of seven-city Midwest event

Detroit-based ArtClvb, an online network for the art world, will bring its Studio Deals Midwest event to Washtenaw County this winter, connecting art buyers to artists in the artists' studios.

ArtClvb describes Studio Deals Midwest as the largest art studio event in the region, taking place across seven Midwest cities including Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. This one-day event offers an intimate opportunity to explore artists’ creative spaces, discover original works, and purchase them through ArtClvb's app with flexible pricing options.

"It’s hard to constantly figure out the best way to find opportunities to sell or to show in galleries," says ArtClvb co-founder Dorota Coy. "We figured that the ArtClvb app and this event would help artists like us in getting more visibility and [getting] more connected to buyers."

Coy explains that Studio Deals Midwest differs from a traditional art market or gallery showing in that buyers are able to visit with artists in their studios. The event will feature 18 artists between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti alone, plus others in Akron, Ohio; Chicago; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit; and Toledo, Ohio. 

"The idea for us is to be as inclusive as possible," Coy says. "We want to make sure that artists and collectors are educated and help them understand the market and what makes an artist’s work valuable."

While Studio Deals Midwest encourages potential art buyers and community members to visit artists and their studios in person, buyers can also explore an artist’s work and make purchases through the ArtClvb app, which launched this past September. ArtClvb co-founder Steve Coy says that the app has since facilitated over $100,000 in art sales, allowed buyers to learn more about the artists whose work they buy, and deepened connections between communities and their artists.

"This is an artist-run and -built app," Steve Coy says. "These ecosystems are all waiting to connect. Artists and buyers want to see it, and we want to help unify everything and celebrate these amazing artists."

Dorota Coy hopes that future Studio Deals events could expand to include even more artists across the country. She says Studio Deals aims to make an often confusing and intimidating art world feel more accessible.

"We want to bring art buyers on this journey of art collecting with us," Dorota Coy says. "The best place to start looking for art is to explore studios, and Studio Deals Midwest lets you see so many in just one day."

Studio Deals Midwest will take place Dec. 7 from 12-5 p.m. A full map of participating artists and studios can be found on the ArtClvb website. The ArtClvb app is free to download on Apple and Android devices.

"We’re a very small team. Most of the time I’m the one emailing artists directly," Dorota Coy says. "But it’s so fun. We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t believe in it."

Rylee Barnsdale is a Michigan native and longtime Washtenaw County resident. She wants to use her journalistic experience from her time at Eastern Michigan University writing for the Eastern Echo to tell the stories of Washtenaw County residents that need to be heard.

Art by Jessica Tenbusch.