Art For Barter's Sake Gives Artists A Break

By Lavinia DeCastro
 
CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY — A group of local artists found a creative way to beat the recession. Artists from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York offered to trade their artwork for services and goods during the Art4Barter exhibit at the SoHa Gallery and Salon on the White Horse Pike.

"Artists may be lacking some goods and services, but the community lacks art, so it's a win-win situation for everyone," said Antonio Puri, the township painter who curated the exhibit. The exhibit, which features the work of 16 artists, will remain at the gallery until Wednesday.

"This is not your average artist," Puri said. "These are very sophisticated, talented artists. Most of them, if not all, have top gallery representation."

The township show is the second in a series of three Art4Barter exhibits. At least half of the 11 artists who showed their work at the Philadelphia exhibit on Jan. 30 received offers, Puri said. During an opening reception here on Wednesday night, the artists received 16 offers for their work, he added. A third show is scheduled to open on March 14 in New York City.

"The economy is bad and people can't afford to buy art and this affects the artists because they can't sell their work," said New York City mixed-media artist Vinod Dave. "This way, the person who wants artwork doesn't have to part with their money."

Dave, whose work incorporates photography and painting, hoped to trade his pieces for a professional digital camera or a video editing software. "Right now, I have a film camera," Dave said. "It would save me a lot of time and also a lot of money in the cost of film."

The camera he wants retails for about $2,000, but he's willing to take a used camera or a different model, he said. "That's usually the price of my artwork," Dave said.

The concept of bartering is not new to artists. "I have bartered many times," Dave said, adding that he often exchanges his work for that of other artists. "It's a great way for us to have collections started and keep them going," said Philadelphia photographer Tanya Murphy-Dodd.

Murphy-Dodd hopes to trade a photo for some electrical work for the studio she recently opened in the Northern Liberties section of the city. Township commissioner Paul Dougherty, an attorney, put in a bid. "I walked through the room and I kept coming back to that picture," Dougherty said. "It's literally a bend on the road. It really just stunned me. I thought - I have to have that picture."

Philadelphia sculptor David Stephens has traded his artwork for appliances for his home. "It's an interesting idea," Stephens said. "I know an artist in Pittsburgh who traded his work for a brand new car."

Stephens, who lost his sight 10 years ago, hopes to trade his sculpture for a computer with software for the blind. "I do a lot of research for my work and this does help with the research," Stephens said.

Puri traded his paintings for the space to host the exhibits. He also bartered for his studio space and dental work. "I just got a root canal and a crown done for a painting," Puri said. "I barter quite a bit."


Dana Dinerman of Oaklyn looks at artwork during the opening night of
the Art4Barter event at the SoHa Gallery and Salon in Haddon Township.

Although bartering is common among individual artists, it is unusual for artists to do it as a group. "I got the idea a few years ago," Puri said. "My son was at a birthday party and I was watching him talk to another boy and he was saying 'Wanna trade?' and that's when it hit me."

"I think it's part of the new economy," said Pam Farrell, of Raritan Township, who hoped to trade her encaustic paintings for other artwork or little perks she had to give up because of the bad economy, like hair styling or massage. Encaustic is an ancient painting technique in which artists add pigments to beeswax.

SoHa owner Christine Hopkins traded her services for a painting. "It just spoke to me," Hopkins said of the painting.

Hopkins, a member of the township's joint zoning and planning board, said she chose the pike as a location for her new business to fuel the ongoing transformation of that area of the township into an arts district. "I'm putting my money where my mouth is," Hopkins said.

The area, which houses an eclectic mix of real-estate offices, auto-body shops, gas stations and convenience stores, has been attracting artists for at least five years. The building, which stands out due to a large abstract mural Puri painted five years ago, houses a pottery co-operative, artist studios and a graphic design office, in addition to the SoHa gallery and salon.