Zero Degrees Art Gallery keeps its starving artists well fed

A gem of an art gallery in Marquette is keeping the starving artist well fed and well paid. The Zero Degrees Art Gallery doesn’t operate as a typical gallery, and artists are eating it up.

It’s a jewel of a find. While most art galleries charge a consignment fee or take 35% of the sale of a piece of art, Zero Degrees lets its artists keep 100 percent of the sale proceeds.

“It’s kind of owned by all the members, so the artists aren’t subjected to the policies of the business or the organization that is sponsoring or putting on the show.  It’s up to the artists who have their work here to decide our policy and practices and how we operate,” said Jenny Frein, Artist/Member, Zero Degrees Art Gallery.

Members pay a $25 monthly fee and are required to work two to three shifts a week for a couple of hours. The only other requirements are that they’re responsible for setting up their own display and that all their work must be made in the U.P.

“We try to keep about 50 artists in here, keep it fresh and new. We have applications here to fill out, anyone can stop by and apply,” said Chris Wetton, Zero Degrees Art Gallery.

“We look for a variety of arts, everything from fibers to pottery to woodworking to paintings.  And anything else that could fall into the category of art and not to have too much of one thing and too little of another area and just to keep a good variety,” continued Frein.

The Zero Degrees Art Gallery is located at 525 North Third Street in Marquette. The jury approval process takes about two to three weeks, and they currently have about seven artist spots to fill.