The Museum Miniatures collection was another successful program that premiered at the event. Fifteen galleries bought the entire line of these hand-embellished miniature giclées, which are signed and numbered by the artist and professionally framed. Meant to serve as “mini versions” of the limited-edition works of Collectors’ established artists, the pieces were introduced to attract new collectors with a $350 to $400 price range that’s less intimidating and can ease them into higher-end purchases.  The works of Sabzi never stayed on the walls for long. His collection of 16-x-16-inch originals sold out in 20 minutes on the first morning of the event. Once replenished, the new crop of pieces sold out again in a similar time period. The artist had even better luck at his home in L.A., where he hosted an exclusive cocktail hour for all attendees. As guests mingled through the exquisitely decorated home, they could purchase most anything that hung on the walls, and they even toured the very studio where Sabzi creates his masterpieces.

  Sabzi sold all 16 pieces that were hung specifically to sell at his home. “Some of the paintings were finished that day,” Sabzi explains. “They had just dried, and already they were sold.”

  The Disney Fine Art room was a “world all its own,” according to Tu. Collectors knew exactly what they were looking for and came focused and ready to buy works by James Coleman, Dick Duerrstein, Mike Kungl, Trevor Carlton and more.

  Ruth Dailey, gallery director of Peabody Fine Art Gallery in Los Gatos, CA, came specifically to purchase several new Disney works. Pleased with her Disney finds, she discovered some of the other genres the artists created and purchased some pieces outside the Disney collection as well.

No matter what the genre, there was certainly more than enough art to go around. Buyers returned from lunch each day to find fresh art hanging on the walls, and the buying extravaganza would start all over again.

  “That’s the great thing about this event,” Tu says. “We can bring our galleries to meet us and see our operations, and we can show so much artwork that they can touch, see and feel.”

  For visitors like April Johnston of Texas Art Depot, seeing the art in person was the extra push she needed to make new purchases. She picked up Sabzi at the event even though she’d seen his work in the past, but it was nothing like seeing it in person, she explained.

  “With events like this, where you get to see the art in person and meet the artists, you’re not just buying a piece of art; you’re buying the entire background and knowledge of the piece that you can take back to your clients and sell,” Johnston says.

  Exclusive Encounters

Gallery attendees of “A Journey Behind the Canvas” received an up-close-and-personal look at the inner workings of Collectors Editions, and the hospitable, intimate setting served the company well.

   Artists Live on the Scene

  Several artists were on hand at the event to meet and greet guests and discuss their processes and inspirations. Brian Davis, Andrew and Sabzi were among the veteran Collectors artists who attended the event, and artists Mike Kungl and Derek Penix represented a few of the new arrivals to the Collectors family.

Artist Brian Davis paints for an enthused audience on the second day of the event.

  “This is a great meet-and-greet opportunity that you don’t get very often,” says Kungl.  “It’s great to see such a wide selection of galleries who are diverse in their geographic location, the type of art they’re looking for, and the artists they are currently carrying.”

  Never-before-seen works by Tim Dickson, Igor Babailov and George Tsui topped off the list of debuts, which received a great deal of attention throughout the event.

  Davis and Andrew each performed live painting demonstrations to a captive audience, and Disney Fine Art artists held a seminar for animation enthusiasts. Galleries couldn’t say enough about the grace and approachability of the artists onsite, and they looked forward to bringing their new knowledge back to the sales floor.

  “When you know the artists and understand their passion, it’s so easy to go back and sell and take that energy back with you to your employees,” says Tony Alt, owner of Ara Gallery & Interiors in Cedar Rapids, IA.

  Printing 101

  Education was another bonus of the trip. Tim Dickson, vice president of production and co-owner of Collectors Editions, gave several printmaking tours during the event. Galleries toured the Eclipse Workshop and production facility and learned the ins and outs of digital printing and serigraphy. With the opportunity to witness the capture, color correction and printmaking processes, several visitors took the tour two and three times to take it all in.

  The education, they said, was invaluable to their businesses as most were unfamiliar with the giclée printing and serigraphy processes. “It’s good to finally understand how [giclée printing] is done, what the value is and have the ability to answer clients’ questions as far sales tactics are concerned,” says Lauren Cohen, gallery manager for the Danielle Peleg Gallery in Detroit.

  Collectors Editions’ emphasis on gallery education and support spurred an array of conversations and collaborations among gallery visitors, which was one of the greatest trip benefits, galleries said. Attendees swapped business tips and discussed challenges in the marketplace today and how to overcome them.

  VIP Entertainment

  Amidst the art previews, educational tours, networking opportunities and unveilings, attendees were far from starved for entertainment.

  The event kicked off with an opening reception, complete with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a special appearance by Academy Award-winning songwriter, Richard M. Sherman.

  Visitors were later treated to more Disney fun with a tour of the Walt Disney Feature Animation Research Library, which stores and preserves more than 65 million pieces of animated art, and a private tour of Walt Disney Studios.

  “No matter what the [sales] number, we’re happy,” Young says. “It’s more than about sales; it’s about these relationships and making a difference in these galleries’ businesses.” ABN