Over the decades he’s worked as an artist, Ronald Chase says he has accumulated too much of his own work.
Now that he’s almost 80, the San Francisco-based conceptual artist has decided to strike a deal with his local community: he will give you a piece of his art for free, if you promise to frame it well and never sell it. And if you get tired of it, Chase insists that you must pass it along to a friend.
On Saturday, August 2, Chase will open his Mission District studio to the public and give away more than 500 abstract pieces of his work first-come-first-serve.
To him, the event is an investment in his own work — giving a longer life to hundreds of pieces that have never before been exhibited in galleries.
Chase said he hopes these gifts of art will not only make the practice of collecting art more attainable, but also prompt a discussion about what makes things valuable.