Cheap Joe's is in the House!

Cheap Joe’s is in the house, the Jones House, that is! The Cheap Joe Gallery Show at the Jones House in Boone, NC, is open from November 26- December 23.  “Cheap” Joe Miller himself was invited by the Jones House Staff to host his own one man show. Obviously, not his first, however, a very notable show, none the less. Joe has over 20 original paintings on display in the main gallery. With every inch of the house decorated for Christmas, it is the best time of the year to be showing. Joe graciously invited all of the artists that are employed by Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff to join him in this great honor. I was very excited to be included in the many talented artists to accept his invitation. This was the first time I had the pleasure to participate in a public show such as this. This kind of opportunity offers valuable exposure to a variety of people that can widen your possibility of selling your artwork as well as, gaining commissions from local art collectors. The publicity is incredibly valuable as well. I was very excited indeed!

Getting ready for the show was a little unnerving, however, with all the preparation and deadlines! I was able to have six different pieces of artwork prepared to hang, just in time. This act, in itself, was quite the challenge. Framing art can be very expensive and difficult.  If you opt to have it professionally framed, you can expect the cost to be about 75% of the value of the completed artwork. If you decide to do it yourself, you can save a lot of money, however, the initial investment of mat board, mat cutter, framing equipment, to frame only a few pieces can be more than you expect. An affordable solution is the Joe Miller’s Perfect Show Pre-Cut Mat System, which includes a precut mat and also a backing board in standard framing sizes so you can just pop it into a ready-made frame. This was the way to go for me! It really enabled me to afford to display several pieces in the show, at very little investment, and in a moments notice. Whew! Just in time!

The artwork was hung on the gallery walls with care, in hopes that Cheap Joe soon would be there! And there he was Friday night with all the Cheap Joe’s participants and their families and friends gathered for a wonderful opening reception at the Jones House. With the house all decorated for the holiday season and a wintery chill in the air, it was the perfect evening for enjoying such a joyous event. The downstairs gallery was filled with wonderfully depicted mountain scenes in watercolor by Joe Miller, himself, as well as barns, lakes, and local views. Bragging rights were definitely his! Joe stood to greet his guests and told stories and jokes. Goodies and snacks were waiting for everyone at the back of the house.

Upstairs in the Employee Gallery, there was an exciting variety of art to be viewed. Watercolors, local photography, abstracts, cartooning, impressionistic, we had it all, including florals, portraits, animals, and local scenes. The talent of Cheap Joe’s was definitely represented well in the small but full gallery. Everyone enjoyed the fellowship and family atmosphere of the evening. We all ended the evening with a Cheap Joe’s group photo!  Y'all be sure to come out to see the show! It runs through December 22nd at the Jones House in Boone, NC!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from everyone at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff!