04 Dec New art buying platform from Manchester Art Fair
Manchester has long been famed as one of Europe’s most creative cities, and recently overtook Cambridge to become the second most attractive city in the UK for tech investment. Now, the founders of Manchester Art Fair have blended these two civic strengths with the launch of EASEL, a new online art buying platform which brings original art from hundreds of British and international artists together in one simple, elegant space where art lovers can view, explore and buy.
“When we had to postpone Manchester Art Fair in October because of the pandemic, many of our visitors said how much they would miss getting their art fix this year,” said CEO Thom Hetherington. “In addition, we have artists and galleries that need our support more than ever. I’ve watched the recent boom in Manchester’s tech sector with real interest, and we quickly realised the time was right to develop EASEL, a platform which will keep our tens of thousands of art buyers connected to our artists and galleries 365 days of the year. Even during our beta testing phase people were buying works, which was beyond our expectations!”
EASEL allows art buyers to explore the work of over 100 artists already and new works being added every day, and to make their purchases directly online. EASEL is easy to use, allowing users to browse by price or type as well as searching by artist name. Although the artists featured range from the local to the international, there is an excellent representation of Northern artists like Rachel Camilleri and Damian John Stewart, and existing Manchester Art Fair exhibitors have already placed pieces on the shop including Saul Hay Gallery and Leon Martyn who has a range of pieces by The Connor Brothers.
Sophie Helm, Director of Manchester Art Fair and EASEL said, “As with the art fair, you can view a range of work from many different artists in many different styles. All of them pass the same application process, so you are guaranteed quality work. We will be regularly curating themed collections, which will enable buyers to navigate our catalogue more effectively, and to explore and develop their own tastes. EASEL will also engage with public institutions, artist studios and art schools, bringing the entire cultural ecology together”
EASEL is now live at easelart.co.uk with over 500 pieces of work to choose from. With Christmas approaching it is the perfect time to explore the collection and find a unique piece for a loved one, the office or just yourself!