A new venue and method to view and purchase art is available for Saskatchewan artists and art lovers.

Grasslands Gallery Online Director Laureen Marchand, provides details on her new artistic venture.

"Grasslands Gallery Online is an entirely online art gallery that offers an alternative for artists and people who love art to see it and purchase it without having to be in a city and go to a gallery."

Marchand has a 35-year exhibiting career or her own and after watching the transitions in galleries over that time and particularly living in the times we are now in,  she felt that something more was needed that allowed artist's work to be seen but didn't require people to go places they may not be comfortable going.

In terms of what views can expect to see in the gallery, Marchand says that they will find some of Saskatchewan's most outstanding contemporary artists. The artists make a wide range of art in a variety of different mediums as Marchand explains. 

"The art that Grasslands Gallery shows includes landscape but it includes a much wider range of possibilities of Saskatchewan art. The tag line I chose is "Beautiful Saskatchewan Art" and that's what all of the work on the website has in common it it's really beautiful to look at as well as very well made and interesting and timely."

As the gallery is online it is available to everyone, everywhere and the entire art-viewing process is completed on the computer or phone. 

Marchand adds that along with having visual images of artwork, they also host virtual exhibitions where viewers can get a guided tour along with close-ups of particular pieces.

In addition, she says she is not intending this to replace physical art galleries, rather she sees it as an enhancement or addition and serves as an additional way of seeing things. Some of the artists work with traditional galleries as well which Marchand has encouraged as she says that all of these ways of seeing art are valuable and her goal is to expand the possibilities for everyone. 

Marchand adds that she hopes that if anyone has any questions or concerns about the gallery that they contact her as this is a new venture and she knows that she is going to miss things and is able to add things to the site. 

A new exhibit is opening next week entitled "You Are Here: A Place on a Map of the Heart". The show is by artists with Grasslands Gallery Online about the ways artists center themselves and their viewers when times are uncertain. 

More information can be found here