Weems Gallery and Framing has been around for 45 years and keeps changing with the times. Owner Sheila McVeigh says she has two main goals for the gallery: To keep prices within a wide and affordable range and to give back to the local community. One of the ways she plans to achieve both of these goals is through the gallery’s August resale art show and reception with over 250 works by well-known, local artists from their private collections. It’s an opportunity for novice collectors to shop locally and hopefully get a bargain or even just to relax after work with a little glass of wine and see some artwork that they may never otherwise see.
McVeigh says a sizable amount of the art up for sale comes from older clients who are trying to downsize their collections later in their lives.
“They’ve also gone to assisted living or some of them have passed,” McVeigh says. “The people that inherit their art, it’s not quite what they like or want, so there’s a huge opportunity for resale out there.”
Weems’ long-time appraiser Jack D’Ambrosio partnered with the gallery to put on last year’s debut event. McVeigh says the first show was “a courtesy to all our customers who support us all year.” D’Ambrosio died in January, and this year Weems will be remembering him by featuring artwork from his estate.
McVeigh says D’Ambrogio was a self-taught art appraiser who became an avid art collector.
“He would go to a lot of the estate sales, sometimes garage sales. And then he would also go to places like Quarter Lane auctions and Christie’s auctions and buy and sell. So he had some good prices.”
On display at this year’s resale show are prints by Oscar Berninghaus who was a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. McVeigh says that the prints should be pretty affordable since they are not original paintings. The August event will also showcase both originals and prints by artists such as Peter Hurd, Novella King, Arturo Chávez, Michael McCullough, Will Shuster, Walt Gonske, Bev Doolittle and others.
“It’s almost like walking into a museum and seeing things that you never see,” McVeigh says. “There’s gonna be some things that you can see in the market like [famous artist] Peter Max that we don’t get because that’s not someone we carry. However, to get a Peter Max is kind of cool.”
In addition to exhibiting, selling and framing artwork, Weems emphasizes educating their customers about the value of the pieces they acquire. The gallery works with local appraisers and has access to auction records from around the world.
McVeigh says that sometimes people don’t realize they are donating old pieces of art worth lots of money.
Especially when someone passes away and they haven’t shared that information [with] the people who would inherit everything, and they’re kinda like, ‘Oh, I don’t like the painting here, let’s just get rid of it.’ That has happened more often than not. I always encourage people to take a look and do a little research before getting rid of art that they inherited.”
McVeighunderstands that not everyone has the money — or the space — for large wall art, but she says Weems is a good option for affordable gift ideas..
“We are much more than just a small gallery,” McVeigh says. “And we do something that very few people in the country or the world do, which is, we do professional restoration.”
Ari Von Huene, Weems’ professional restoration expert has restored a Piccaso, so she is well-versed in cleaning up old paintings to look like new, while devaluing them as little as possible.
Weems also hosts events that provide a rare art experience for those who might not be in a position to make a trip to a large gallery or exhibit.
“We have some caretakers that have adult group homes with challenged adults and they bring them here for a couple hours to sketch and it’s great. We just set them up with chairs and supplies and they sit here and they sketch and it just makes their day,” McVeigh says, “It’s very heartwarming, it’s so cute. Sometimes I have some sparkling cider and give it to them. You just try to help them feel like an adult.”
McVeigh says that most importantly, Weems is a laid-back place for locals to go, soak in some really beautiful artwork, and feel good. “It’s our happy place,” she says.
Weems Gallery Resale Art Show
Aug. 2 – 17
Opening Reception: Aug. 2 5 p.m. – 7 p.m
5935 Wyoming Blvd. NE.
Free