SavvyArt Market is an online gallery with a mission to match great people with great Canadian art. We believe in the value of great art, which is art with soul that was conceived and produced by an artist who was fairly compensated for it. We want to spread the word that art is for everyone. You don’t have to be wealthy to enjoy the benefits of great art on your walls.
Tell us about yourself?
Born artist and creative, originally from Sault Ste. Marie, I renewed my passion for living my healthiest life by starting Savvy Art in 2010 in Oakville, after realizing that I needed to change my lifestyle to be at my best. I reignited my passion for art, creating my own, plus supporting Canadian artists and placing their work. I expanded our consulting services when clients expressed their desire for help to successfully buy the right art for their homes.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
I would advise myself to play bigger, take more uncomfortable action, be kinder to myself and recognize my perfectionism as fear of the uncertainty of moving forward. I would advise myself to believe more deeply in the power of the Universe making important connections. Growing a business is a journey, so strap in for a bumpy ride.
What problem does your business solve?
Helping people find art they truly love and works the best for the space. Great art does so much more than fill empty walls. Our art styling services save people time and money buying the right art. We also give Canadian artists a platform to feature and sell their work.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
After several years of overworking myself with a career and family, and having lost touch with my creativity, I was inspired to start SavvyArt Market after I learned about New York couple Herbert and Dorothy Vogel, who, over the course of 46 years, amassed an art collection of 3,900 pieces, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The story was so special because Herbert and Dorothy were not wealthy. They simply loved art and supported young artists just getting started. Herbert worked for the post office and never earned more than $23,000 per year. Dorothy was a librarian. Her salary was used to cover their living expenses while his salary went to purchasing art they loved. Eventually, they donated their entire collection to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., where others could enjoy it just as they had. Through SavvyArt Market, I wanted to help people realize the many benefits of owning and viewing art that speaks to you and support Canadian artists in the process.
What is your magic sauce?
We are a one stop provider for all types of artworks. We offer everything from gallery and photo walls, custom framing, abstracts, originals, custom commissions, photography, prints, art of all sizes from small to very large-scale pieces for homeowners and the design trade. We excel at new renovations, whole home projects and single space-at-a-time. We focus on each client project and what is needed by offering a wide variety of art sources, services, custom creation and budgets.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
Grow our showroom space and expand our reach, extensively across Canada and into USA, to get Canadian art into homes for people to experience its transformative nature.
We want to demonstrate to people the health benefits of buying, owning, viewing, and making art, using art as a tool for wellness. Part of this initiative is to expand our ArtSpa program, which is a workshop-based program, teaching people how to relieve stress with creativity.
What is the biggest challenge you've faced so far?
The culture of owning art seems to have lost ground in the lives of people in North America. We find it challenging to compete for people’s time to help them understand that art should be a priority in their lives. Since generally broadcasting the importance of art wasn’t being heard, we have had to focus in on new renovations and people who want to refresh their spaces.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
If you need help finding art you will love for the right price to elevate your space go to our website to view great Canadian art. If you have a project or space in mind (custom framing, gallery wall, custom art, art styling help, etc.) use the contact page to ask a question, get pricing or tell us if you can’t find what you want. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook. Sign up for our newsletter because we feature new art, artists, and exclusive deals for members of our community.