"The Free Gallery" preview starts today at Pro Arts in downtown Oakland, at 10 am., including 3 of my Little Free Art Gallery pieces, everything to be given away for free when the show opens March 1

"The Free Gallery" preview starts today at Pro Arts in downtown Oakland, at 10 am. I've got 3 Little Free Art Gallery pieces on exhibit, to be given away free. I'm not sure yet how it's all going to work, I guess on March 1 when the show opens officially, an "Artists Reception and Free Art Launch" will take place from 6-8 p.m., maybe that is when people will be able to take the art and other gallery items for free, I have no idea how it will work then or afterwards, maybe I will find out more before then. At any rate, it will be interesting to see how people respond to the whole thing.

http://www.proartsgallery.org/exhibitions/2013_exhibitioncall_freegallery.php 

"The Hilary Box", "Boss Joss", and "Big Joss Man, Can't You Hear Me When I Call" are 3 Little Free Art Gallery confections by Doug Millison, to be exhibited and given away for free at "The Free Gallery", Pro Arts, Oakland, California, March 1-29; show preview starts February 26, 2013

Little Free Art Gallery Bumper Stickers

HONK IF YOU LOVE FREE ART

I BRAKE FOR FREE ART

WILL ART 4 FREE

I (HEART) FREE ART

Coming soon to Little Free Art Gallery No. 1: "Garage Collage"

Family Group by Morris Armstrong, Jr. proudly a.k.a. "Little Mo" with help from the Nonhuman Crew including Doug Millison; from the Garage Collage series. Details of public exhibit and items to be given away for free at Little Free Art Gallery No. 1 in El Cerrito, California, to be announced.

"The Hilary Box", "Boss Joss" and "Big Joss Man, Can't You Hear Me When I Call?" delivered to Pro Arts, Oakland, California, today for "The Free Gallery" extravaganza

The Hilary Box, Boss Joss and Big Joss Man, Can't You Hear Me When I Call? constitute a new series of Little Free Art Gallery installations by Doug Millison, all created especially to give away for FREE at "The Free Gallery" starting later this month and running through March 2013 at Pro Arts, Oakland, California.

BOSS JOSS is an XXS "Single-Serving Size" Little Free Art Gallery to be given away for free at "The Free Gallery", Pro Arts, Oakland, Ca., March 1, 2013

BOSS JOSS by Doug Millison, an XXS “Single-Serving Size” Little Free Art Gallery
created to be given away for free at “The Free Gallery”, Pro Arts, Oakland, California
February 26 - March 29, 2013. Made of authentic joss paper HELLBANK notes, HELLBANK golden  ingots, red and gold metallic joss paper, and hong bao red money gift envelopes all purchased at 99 Ranch Market in Richmond, California, plus newspaper clip, rubber stamp. More about “The Free Gallery” at http://www.proartsgallery.org/exhibitions/2013_exhibitioncall_freegallery.php

“BOSS JOSS” by Doug Millison; front door; XXS “Single-Serving Size” Little Free Art Gallery
created to be given away for free at “The Free Gallery” – Pro Arts, Oakland, California
February 26 - March 29, 2013

“BOSS JOSS” by Doug Millison interior, inside front cover decorated with joss paper; hong bao envelope tag pulls it from the box and pulls a surprise card from the envelope. XXS “Single-Serving Size” Little Free Art Gallery created to be given away for free at “The Free Gallery” – Pro Arts, Oakland, California, February 26 - March 29, 2013

 “BOSS JOSS” by Doug Millison. interior, surprise card removed from hong bao envelope; HELLBANK gold ingots in box. XXS “Single-Serving Size” Little Free Art Gallery created to be given away for free at
“The Free Gallery” – Pro Arts, Oakland, California February 26 - March 29, 2013

Dear Little Free Art Gallery,

If "everybody is an artist" as Joseph Beuys said, and people like you repeat ad nauseum then why aren't we all making art all the time?

Sincerely,
An Art Collector & Investor

Dear Art Collector & Investor,

People do…but, we don't call it Art.

Growing up we have learned the lesson well: Art is something only special people with special insight and privileges, called Artists, get to spend their time doing.

Meanwhile, the rest of us pursue our "crafts" and "creativity" from day to day in countless beautiful, useful, and life-affirming ways, and leave the "Artists" to themselves.

If the Big Expensive Art Gallery doesn't want my creations, I build a Little Free Art Gallery and use it to give away freely the things that I make as I try to make my life and world a more beautiful and satisfying place.

Fine-tuning the Little Free Art Gallery Mission Statement

Little Free Art Gallery Project  Mission Statement

Recognizing that most people rarely if ever engage directly with living artists and new, original works of art due to economic and class barriers and other factors, and seeing how we often fail to realize our own artistic abilities for the same reasons, the Little Free Art Gallery Project seeks to deepen our understanding of art and how to use it to enhance our lives through the practice of making art and giving it away for free.

We create, and encourage others to create, art galleries and their digital media counterparts in a variety of configurations and sizes, deployed across a spectrum of public and private locations. We invite and organize artists to use the Little Free Art Gallery installations to give away free, original works of art, and to document their gifts in the project's online and printed publications.

We use this free art exchange to create communities and online networks where we engage each other and deepen our understanding of the world as we inspire and help each other to make and share art. Together in person, in digital media, and in print, we discuss art, its "value" and uses, our relationship with original art works and their creators, and related topics.

By making and sharing free art, we seek to liberate our thinking and open more fully to the world and to each other.

"When art is free, so are we."
  –Doug Millison, co-founder

"When art is free, so are we" photo by Doug Millison, co-founder Little Free Art Gallery