When Denise and Giora Israel were wandering the streets of Montmartre in Paris, they stumbled upon Carré d’artistes, a French gallery franchise based out of Aix-en-Provence. The husband and wife have a background in art – Giora in art sales and Denise as an interior designer – and they fell in love with the concept. The Israels opened a Sedona Carré d’artistes location at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village last October. (The Israels divide their time between Sedona and Miami.) There are currently about 30 Carré d’artistes galleries in the world. The company represents 600 artists, and the artists rotate between the galleries. At any given time, a gallery exhibits 15 artists, with a new artist rotating in each month. All work is original – no prints or reproductions. Artists must complete work in four sizes with five inches by five inches being the smallest size and 14 inches by 14 inches being the largest. (All work is square; “carré” is French for “square.”) The artwork is priced according to size, which means all 14-inch-by-14-inch artwork is priced the same, regardless of artist.
“Many of the artists are emerging, though some have exhibited before and just want the chance for more exposure,” says Denise, who’s originally from Vienna. “Carré is a good vehicle for artists to get their work out there and be part of a collective. The artists we represent are primarily from Europe, but we are always recruiting. There are strict guidelines for applying, and all of the decisions are made in France.”
Sedona was only the second U.S. city to receive a Carré d’artistes. The first U.S. location was in New York City, and there are now galleries in Philadelphia and Miami Beach. The first Carré d’artistes opened in France in September 2001. At the Sedona space, there are specially lit walls where you can place your art to get a better idea of how it will look in your home. You can also purchase frames at the store. The gallery will host its first artist’s reception Oct. 9-11 featuring Romanian artist Dina, who will sign paintings and demonstrate in the gallery. It will be her first visit to the U.S. – Erika Ayn Finch. Photo by Deb Weinkauff.
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