UGallery Partners with First Exposures to Support Creative Development of Underserved Youth in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 05, 2014

UGallery (http://www.ugallery.com), a leading online art gallery offering curated, original art for sale from the world’s most talented mid-career and emerging artists, today announced a partnership with First Exposures (http://www.firstexposures.org), a nationally recognized mentoring program that empowers youth through photography.

Starting today, photography created through the First Exposures program will be available for sale on UGallery in a special collection. All proceeds on sales will go to the First Exposures organization and its mentees. The initial program launch will include 30 photographs hand-selected by UGallery's team of curators. The collection will grow as more students enter the First Exposures program.

Founded in 1993, First Exposures matches students with professional photographers who provide individualized guidance and serve as a volunteer mentor, as well as a positive adult role model. Photography is the catalyst by which students acquire vital life skills and it is the vehicle through which First Exposures deepens their intellectual, academic and development experiences. Since the organization’s founding, over 90% of First Exposures students have gone on to pursue a college education.

“We're excited to provide a platform for First Exposure mentees to showcase their work,” said Alex Farkas, Gallery Director & Co-Founder of UGallery. “Through this partnership, we hope to instill an even greater sense of pride in these students, as their artwork will be shared with a global network of art enthusiasts and collectors. The mentees are creating thought-provoking glimpses into life in San Francisco, and we hope each student will develop long-lasting self-confidence and continue to pursue their passion for the arts.”

Founded in 2006 and based in San Francisco, UGallery has spearheaded the growing trend towards selling and collecting art online. Previously, collecting original art was limited to the physical infrastructure of the gallery and auction houses, leaving an untapped community of artists and collectors eager to connect with one another. UGallery is a platform that brings these two groups together—no matter where they are in the world.

"We’re firm believers in empowering and fostering self-confidence for our city’s most creative, underserved youth and are thrilled that our mentees will be able to showcase their photography on a global level with this new partnership,” said Erik Auerbach, Director & Advisory Board Member of First Exposures. “UGallery’s online art platform has been providing a great venue to emerging artists for years, enabling them to achieve success, credibility and, very critical to our cause, confidence.”UGallery’s Alex Farkas added: “It’s our shared passion for the arts and our desire to help young emerging artists that brought our organizations together. We look forward to providing these students with the same opportunities for visibility and development that our professional artists benefit from.”

About UGallery

UGallery is a curated online art gallery that sells original, one-of-a-kind artworks. Founders Stephen Tanenbaum, Alex Farkas, and Greg Rosborough came together in 2006 to create a revolutionary approach to online art sales that democratizes the entire art buying process. Clients can browse the collection by price, medium, style, size, color, or artist and give any piece a weeklong test run in their home risk-free. More information about UGallery can be found at http://www.UGallery.com, or by visiting UGallery on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ugallery), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/ugallery) or Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/ugallery).

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