 When Arielle Gurevich graduated from the Asper School of Business she wasn’t looking for a career spent behind a desk. Interested in entrepreneurship, a chance discussion with an artist friend of her father’s led to the idea of artistic representation. Deeming the original art market too limited, and too costly, Arielle and her sister Sarah, with help from their dad, decided to create a business that would make art more accessible, launching Twist Fine Art Merchandise a year and a half ago.
The business licenses artwork from Canadian artists—many of them from Winnipeg—which is then reproduced on stationery, journals and magnets, and as Giclée prints, almost all of which are crafted in Winnipeg. After working to build the wholesale side of the business, the sisters recently opened a retail location on the second floor at 245 McDermot Ave.
The company merges the sisters’ skill sets perfectly. Sarah, who is a makeup artist and has a degree in theatrical design, sources and liaises with the artists, while Arielle takes care of the business side of things. “I’m the one with the vision and she’s the artistic one,” laughs Arielle. Oh, and dad still helps out when needed.
The artists, whose styles range from photographs to graffiti art, come from across the country and include homegrown talent like Cliff Eyland and Cyrus Smith. “Once we started looking, we were overwhelmed by the talent we found,” says Arielle.
Artists who sign on—giving Twist the rights to reproduce their work—receive royalties, as well as a new audience for their work. “Often the artists would like to get their work out there in a different way but are not interested in the business aspect,” offers Arielle. “We’re bringing the product to the market and doing all the leg work.”
For this holiday season, the company has brought out an eclectic mix of holiday cards (we especially like Kendyl Lauzon’s cute and quirky illustrated designs), which are on sale now. Check them out at www.twistfineart.com, on Facebook at Twist Fine Art Merchandise, or call 488-0662.
|
