The world is a different place than it was twenty years ago. We shop online, in the comfort of our own home, in yoga pants and with a glass of wine in hand. While e-commerce has changed pretty much every consumer industry across the board, it’s completely changed the entire landscape of collecting, a world that was inaccessible to the masses before the wonderful internet.
Art galleries used to be filled with serious collectors and aesthetes with deep pockets and a profound knowledge of the art world. They still are, and there is still a place in the world for them, absolutely. But the industry wasn’t welcoming to novices, and it certainly wasn’t accessible to all. There was an intimidating stigma attached to browsing, that if you weren’t already in the know you weren’t in the right place.
UGallery has single-handedly changed that. They launched in 2006 and changed the way we collect art—they carefully curate an amazing collection and make it available worldwide for the discerning Brooklyn hipster to the seasoned traditional collector alike. With 7,000 original works of art and a growing roster of 500 emerging artists you’d be hard-pressed not to find what you’re looking for here.
EVERYONE CAN OWN ORIGINAL ART
UGallery makes it possible for everyone to own original art, but make no mistake—these are no amateur artists. They feature works from professional artists across a range of styles and career stages, all with fairly unique perspectives. It’s about relationships, creative and professional, that encourages artists to stay with UGallery from their first tentative works to selling more established pieces. Prices can range from $200 to $20,000 for an original piece. The hand-curating process includes finding artists who move the UGallery team and make a statement—that statement translates pretty well to the consumer. They also have exclusivity for the artwork they offer, so you know whatever you purchase is truly one of a kind.
The best part of this new world? UGallery offers a test drive, giving you a week-long test run at home risk-free. So if you love it online and hate it on the wall, they take it back, no questions asked. Shipping is free too, so that life size canvas you’ve dreamed of won’t cost an arm and a leg to get to you.
UGallery also offers a full-service trade program for interior designers and corporate clients, so your boardroom doesn’t have to be filled with yet another off-the-rack New York City skyline series.
Black Friday has started early in the world of the web, and UGallery’s sale (a true rarity that launched yesterday, so the good stuff isn’t gone yet!) is as follows:
Save $100 on orders over $500
Save $250 on orders over $1,000
Save $1,000 on orders over $3,000
The return window is extended from 7 days to 30 days for all of December, so you have extra wiggle room if you are a super indecisive Libra like myself and need a few tries before you find the perfect present. Skip the insane crowds and flat screen TVs this year. Buy something special, something that makes a statement, something that is truly thoughtful and essentially priceless. Starting a collection is an exciting way to kick off the holidays and feel like you’re connected to a community, instead of disappearing into the black void of consumerism that the holidays can suck you into.
