Nov. 27, 2003 – Sólo Arte will be the scene of a "holiday preview" opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday of the year's final exhibition at the gallery in the Cruz Bay Lumberyard complex on St. John.
This will be the last showing of Sólo Arte owner Janet Cook-Rutnik's paintings from her 2001-02 solo show "On the Other Side of Dreams," which toured Albany, New York; Washington, D.C.; and Seaside, Florida.
In addition, she says "I will also be showing Mandy Thody's incredible dolls with their lifelike heads and hands and feet made of clay."
Thody's one-of-a-kind dolls are meticulously dressed works of art that come with mini-biographies written by the artist, too. To see some of them, visit her P'tit Caribee Web site.
Selected images of Cook-Rutnik's works can be viewed at her Virtual Gallery.
Following Friday's reception, there will be an "artists' supper" at La Tapa which is open to the public. Reservations should be made individually by calling the restaurant at 693-7755.
Art lease-purchase program
At Friday's reception, Cook-Rutnik also will have information available about a new Sólo Arte lease-purchase initiative that allows clients "the opportunity to make a thoughtful selection" of artwork while at the same time offering "a way to finance the purchase of paintings, prints and mixed media over a period of time."
Participants leasing the artwork of their choice, to be hung in their chosen venue, will earn monthly credit toward purchases. Works include Cook-Rutnik's own original paintings, prints and collages, as well as pieces by other local and international artists.
The program will enable patrons "to settle in with the artwork they choose and spend a good amount of time looking at it within the context of their business, home or vacation villa before making the actual purchase," Cook-Rutnik says. Sólo Arte will install the works, for a nominal fee. The total cost of the leased works will be divided by 18, to be paid over 18 months if the patron chooses to keep the art.
"After the monthly fee is paid for three months, the total that you have paid becomes your purchase credit," Cook-Rutnik says. "At that time you may choose to purchase one or more of the pieces, which would then be deducted from the total that you are leasing. The inventory total would be re-figured and divided by 18 again, starting a new cycle of leasing."
And, she says, if clients decide after leasing works for three months that they would prefer something altogether different, "your purchase credit can be applied to other artwork." The patron also has the option of leasing artwork on a rotating bases without purchasing anything.
To learn more, send an e-mail to Janet Cook-Rutnik or call her at 715-2150 or 693-8069.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
