art world expo 2018

Top 3 Reasons to Exhibit at the Art World Expo Shows!

Whether you are an artist or business, we want to help you at our events this year! Join the Art World Expo family today! Gain a spot on our roster and gain a whole new family too!

#1 Reach new markets!

Every year, we work hard to get thousands of people to our events in British Columbia and Alberta! Not only do we see lots of new guests attending our shows each year, we also offer free admission to our Christmas Fair so that guests do not have to buy tickets at all! Since 2010, we have seen over 20,000 people attend our various shows in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto! Pretty amazing! This doesn’t even include our mailing list features, social media followers or online events that we host either!

Aryn Effert in Edmonton, Alberta-March 2018 Show! Photo by Richard Beaudoin.Amazing body painters in Edmonton’s March 2018 show! Photo by Richard Beaudoin.

Line ups each year at the Vancouver show at Telus World of Science! Get your ticket early!
#2 As a vendor, you get support!

Our mission is to continually help our members grow their business. We know it can be hard to be an artist out there and we pride ourselves as being one of the only shows in North America with an extensive services menu for artists which includes things like a vendor only membership group, advertising in our newsletter, one on one coaching calls or meetings monthly as well as support on social media! We also host Art World Expo Speaker Series every few months! These are free events for our members to learn about all sorts of things related to business! Learn more about our membership benefits here!

Billie Sinclair came to speak in May 2018 and we had a Social Media Training in August 2017. We have an array of opportunities for vendors to learn how to grow and get better at business all year round! These sessions are always free for members!

#3 Brand Recognition

When you show your work in one of our events, you gain ongoing brand recognition year round! We post event photos of all of our vendors, body painters, performers and business booths after the event which stay up indefinitely! We also do cool things like post your photo on our social media throughout the year including tags to your page, share your work on our Facebook cover albums, feature your upcoming events in our membership group or newsletter and if we can, we do live interviews with you via cool marketing with other well known brands. Check out what we did with Genesis Richmond this past spring on our Youtube Channel. Here’s our cool Interview with Carolyn Bruce Designs! She’s amazing by the way!

We pride ourselves in not only putting on exciting events that appeal to a variety of guests, but also to our continued dedication to the arts professionals and businesses who participate in our events. We have been offering these shows and services for almost a DECADE and aren’t planning on stopping anytime soon! We have worked with some amazing artists, brands and corporations who continuously support our shows and we want to help you succeed as a business too!

Looking forward to seeing you at the shows this season!

Call us today to book your booth or fill in the online form here today!

Interview with Edmonton Artist Aryn Effert

by Monika Blichar

I love learning about why artists do what they do. I find it fascinating what drives people to want to pursue their craft and passion and always try to study those who are passionate about what they do. What is it that drives us to follow our dream, act on our ideas or pursue our goals?

Today I caught up with Edmonton based artist Aryn Effert who tells us about how she started in art and what inspires her to continue to pursue her creative side. Aryn’s work is featured on the Edmonton event flyer this year and we choose it as it demonstrated a connectivity between living things which also reflects our mission expanding the Art World Expo into new cities such as Edmonton and Toronto. Intriguing, inspiring and insightful, Aryn’s work is one that cannot be missed at the Muttart on March 16.

1-When did you start painting and what made you want to be a professional artist?

I started when I was a child, my Mom ensured I always had pencils and paints; she registered me in nature drawing classes and my family has always encouraged me. The professional part is relatively new, having met some wonderful local Artists through Kaleido they inspired me to give it a try.

2-What has been your greatest inspiration so far?

Animals and Architecture. Animals for the challenge in capturing their personalities in the painting or sketch, their movement and the depth of colour in their fur or fins. With Architecture it stems from a love of unique structures and well built and designed buildings, growing up my Dad cultivated my interest in construction and design.

3-Your painting is featured on the Art World Expo Edmonton flyer. Could you tell us about this piece and what inspired you to create it?

Intersections started out as a concept of paths crossing. It evolved to depict the two male Betta fish at a point where the viewer is unsure if a battle is about to start or if they will continue on their own way. I began painting it after my own life seemed to have strangely aligned intersections with others’ lives.

4-What can guests expect to see at your booth? Will you have any contests, sales or special promotions just for Art World attendees?

Several new pieces based on Edmonton are in the works, specials on my older paintings that I hope to send off to new homes and prints & postcards of my paintings and photographs taken here in Edmonton.

5-In five years, where would you like to see your art business?

Continuing it as a part time joy, creating it, sharing it with others, enjoying others works and company along the way. In 5 years I hope to be well on my way to becoming an Architect, using art as a means of communicating my visions.

6-Just for fun: What is your favourite meal and why?

That’s a hard one! I have to say the Palak Paneer on Saffron Rice by Indian Fusion; it looks terrible but has such a rich and savory taste! I enjoy the initial reactions of people who haven’t had it before, the horror at the color and the way their eyes light up at the first bite; truly delightful!

To learn more about Aryn, visit her Facebook Page and be sure to visit her at the Art World Expo Edmonton at the Muttart Conservatory on March 16! Get your ticket today!

Monika Blichar is an Entrepreneur and Artist. She is owner of Monika’s Art Boutique-Studio & Gallery in North Vancouver and producer of Art World Expo and Painting Dreams International Art Tours. She is always pushing boundaries as an artist and creative entrepreneur. Her love of the arts has been a part of her life since childhood.

Let’s Touch Base with Ryan Broderick

by Monika Blichar

Ryan Broderick first came to our studio in North Van with his dad in 2015. He was barely 19 at the time and on record, our youngest exhibiting artist. Though he was young, his talent and drive to succeed in the arts has been a pleasure to watch since his first exhibit with us. He has had his work up in galleries, arts councils and has been creating innovative and unique work since we met him and likely, long before then! We caught up with Ryan and look forward to his exhibition at the 2018 Vancouver event on May 11, 2018 at Telus World of Science.

1-What inspires you as an artist?

I strongly believe that art comes in many forms, but it is all created for the same reason. It is a form of expression. Certain moments and interests in my life assist in inspiring what and how I paint. I am a story teller, but without words being spoken or written. I provide the viewer a story with the intention of sharing similar emotions through the aesthetics.

2-You showed at AWE 2017 and one of your pieces, the razor blades, was really striking and made impressions on a lot of guests. Can you tell us about this piece?

In this piece, I explore the idea of creating skin with X-Acto blades. Giving a found object a new purpose was accomplished by using the two different coloured blades to create the human head. The X-Acto blades create a sense of dimension, as well as a layer of protection for the figure. The eyes have been painted in order to create a glare that pulls the viewer into feeling this figure is a real human. The eyes create questioning of the thoughts going on in the figures mind. The X-Acto blades on the other hand, creates a distance and pushes the viewer back. The X-Acto blades are to represent the first layer of skin that humans put up against others.

3-What mediums do you like to work in the most?

I ideally work with acrylic paint as it dries fast. This allows me to work on a piece for a long duration of time. However, I have recently found an enjoyment using found objects, for instance the razor blades. I found this to be a challenging material to work with, but it gives a mesmerizing result. The use of the razor blades created a dimensional wall piece rather than a flat image.

4-As an artist, what do you think has been the most significant piece that you have made to date?

My razor blade art piece has had the biggest impact on people and has created the most conversation. The style creates a distinct touch that can further be noticed as a piece done by me. This art piece takes on a new aspect on materials and a new element to art. I found a lot of people were surprised once they realized what it was made out of and it hadthem asking questions. The want of asking questions is exactly what I try to create through my art.

5-Will you have Art World Expo special offers or limited edition works available this year?

I will not have any special offers or limited edition works but I will have on display more art like the razor blade piece. These will be ongoing art projects I do over the next few months and could range in materials. The Art World Expo is intended to be the first showing of these pieces for the public to view in person. Photographs online will be the only interaction to get a feel for the art before getting up close and personal.

6-Where would you like to see your art career go in the next 5 years?

I plan on having my Master’s Degree in the Fine Arts Visual Arts. This will hopefully open up opportunities to have galleries represent me and allow my art to be more available to the public.

To view more work from Ryan Broderick, please visit his Facebook Page.