We were recently clued in to a cool weekly treasure hunt that a local abstract painter, Amy Elizabeth Bork, has started: each Friday, she hides one of her paintings somewhere around town for anyone to find and keep. It’s called Free Art Friday (#FreeArtFriday on Instagram and Twitter) and so far she’s hidden 11 paintings.
She got the idea from a friend, who told her about a Free Art Friday in Colorado which lots of artists participated in, hiding paintings for strangers to find. “I thought about it for a while and decided it would be a great way to promote my work, spread some cheer, and get my work to the public,” she says.
When she hides each painting, Bork posts a picture on her social media accounts, and she always leaves a friendly note on the back of each piece with her email and Instagram and Twitter accounts (@amyelzartist) so the lucky new owners can get in touch. “While I did this as a way to promote my art, I could not ask for a better outcome and feeling when I receive the messages that the paintings have been found,” Bork says. “Last week I had a lady tell me she saw my post, went to look for it, and although it was gone, it was a beautiful day and she was happy she went on the adventure. That in itself is the reward from doing this.”
Follow @amyelzartist to get in on the fun — sometimes she posts clues as to the painting’s whereabouts. And if you do find one, make sure you let her know.
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