Affordable Art for All

         (McLean, VA, August 3, 2000) Several of the original oil paintings by DC area artist Karen Francis Rugala have been selected by a fine arts art publishing and marketing company in Florida to be created as giclée prints on canvas. The prints are also being marketed through the Art Promotions, Inc web site at http://www.artpro.com

         The first copy ordered of each of these prints will be signed by the artist as the authenticated Artist Proof for the edition of prints of that size. The prints are each being offered at the introductory price based on size as indicated below. (Add $25. for the Artist Proof.) The first Artist Signing of the proofs will be held at Abbott Gallery and Framing in McLean, at 6673 Old Dominion Drive on Saturday, August 12 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm and the public is invited.

             These listed below are $250. each, in the size of 29" x 24".
             Quiet Waters Park
             Watching the Wind

             These are available at $200 each, in the size of 18" x 24"
             Mazatlan (also known as Villa)
             Sarah's Roses
             What's the Resolution?(Artist Proof-SOLD!)
             Silent Sonata

             These are available at $300. each, in the size of 24" x 30"
             Red Rover
             Spring
             Belmont

         These prints have a 30 day period in which a purchaser may determine satisfaction with the product after receiving it, with a full refund guarantee. The prints are unframed and shipping is free. By purchasing a print on canvas, rather than paper, the buyer gains the look of an original painting at the price of a print.

         To order, email art@artpro.com or call 703 893-7482 and indicate which prints on canvas you desire and your phone number and you will be contacted to confirm the credit card information. Or order online on a secure server at http://www.artpro.com

         What is a Giclée?

         The company producing the prints provides the following information
         regarding the giclée process:

                                         "A Giclée is a fine art print" produced on a
                    high quality digital printer. The word Giclée is a French
                    word and means "sprayed, jetted, or spurted". We print
                    our Giclées on the highest quality printers used in the
                    industry to reproduce fine art prints: The Iris and Roland
                    Specialized Giclées printers."

             How long does a Giclée last?

                            
"Giclées have undergone extensive testing by Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc., a
         leading authority on the care and preservation of prints, photographs, and films. Wilhelms
         testing, has shown that under standard conditions, a Giclée can last as long as 32-36 years
         before easily noticeable fading begins. It is important to note that all colors fade. Depending of
         the composition of the paints, many original watercolors will fade faster. The same goes for
         Cibachromes, which Wilhem rate at 29 years.

             What retail prices do collectors pay for Giclée?

             The retail price varies on many factors, such as the artists reputation, the size of the
             edition, the size of the print, and even the state of the economy. Small format from a
             large edtion can sell for as little as $100-$300. At the other extreme, Giclées by David
             Hockney can run in the tens of thousands dollars.

                Have any museums taken interest in Giclées?

             Dozens of museums have mounted exhibitions or purchased Giclées for their
             permanent collections. These include The Metropolitan Museum (New York), the
             Guggenheim (New York), the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the Isabella
             Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston), the Philadelphia Museum, the Butler
             Institute (Youngstown, OH), the Corcoran (DC), the National Gallery for Women
             in the Arts (DC), the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts (DC), the Walker Center, the
             Smithsonian Institution Libraries, the New York Public Library PrintCollection, the High
             Museum (Atlanta), the California Museum of Photography, the National Museum of
             Mexico and the San Jose Museum, among others."

         Other News

         Some of Karen Rugala's original works are now in these galleries: Vertigo Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and Soho East in Rosslyn, New York. Art Promotions, Inc., established in 1989 by the then Karen Francis, is an active participant in supporting Washington DC art events.
                                                                                
Contact: Art Promotions, Inc. 703 893-7482 or 1 877 artpro1
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