Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Cultural Gallery

Amy Ford writes in Brown Babies, Pink Parents about supporting your children of color by decorating your home with art that features people who look like them and/or support their cultural norms.

Over the past year or so, I've been collecting art to frame and place in my girls' bathroom/guest bathroom.   The room features the only bright color in our house----a vibrant strawberry red.    Since the room is used often by my family and guests, I found it to be the perfect place to feature my art collection.

Being the bargain hunter I am, here are some tips on creating an affordable art gallery:

1:  Purchase greeting cards that feature kids who look like yours.   I suggest looking at (Cost Plus) World Market.


2:  Purchase postcards featuring kids who look like yours.    One of my favorite pictures came from a postcard I purchased at an art museum in Washington DC.   It's a picture of an AA woman on a beach.



3:  Scour Etsy.  Many sellers will customize art to fit your desires.   I have found prints for as little as $9!   The mermaid print on the left is from Etsy, as is the print on the bottom right.    (The upper right photo is a greeting card from World Market---a photo of babies of various races and in various moods).



4:  You could also (gasp!) use artwork from books you have purchased.   Currently, Border's is going out of business, and I've heard they are due to close by the end of September.  Now might be a perfect time to load up on cheap books that might feature art you can frame.  


5:  When choosing frames, choose the same style and color so you do not distract the viewer from the art itself.    I chose black frames with white mats.    I've been asked where one can get the best deal on frames.  I recommend Kohl's.  If you have  Kohl's charge card, you get an additional twelve sale offers a year that the non-charge-holder-customer doesn't receive.    Combine the 50%+ off frame sale with a 30% off coupon (and sometimes you can even earn or redeem Kohl's Cash at this time) to get frames for as little as $8 each.  


Happy creating!   My gallery creates interesting conversations with guests, and my oldest, Miss E, loves picking out her favorite picture (which can change moment to moment).   

   

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