A group exhibiton featuring work by Rich Lehl, Christine Taylor, Susan Robb, Ursulla Gullow, Leiv Fagereng, Tim Foss, Keven Furiya, jason Puccinelli, Chris Thompson, Randy McCoy, Gary Smoot, Ruth Burwell, Greg Lundgren, Jennifer McNeely, marion Peck, Tim Marsden, Casey Kelbaugh, Ted Grudowski, Ron Richardson, Meghan Trainor, John Berry, Sarah Kavage, Rob Zverina, Steven Stone, Carter Nelson, many others...

Overdrawn was a simple enough idea- Exchange "overdrawn" artwork for "overdrawn" bank statements. Every artist I knew had "extra" paintings floating around their studios, closets, storage spaces, parents basements. These are works that have been shown before and never sold, never fit into a cohesive body of work, represented the amateur days, the odd balls that were most likely never going to be exhibited again, but were good enough to save from the dumpster, from painting over, or re-stretched. I considered these paintings overdrawn, and collected and solicited as many as I possibly could. The date was set for the first Friday after the new years holiday- a time when everyone had spent their money on Christmas junk and holiday excess.

We had over a hundred artists donate over three hundred pieces of artwork-paintings, sculpture and photography, at a level and quality that one would be very surprised to see. At the entrance of the gallery a booth was set up where people could trade their bounced checks, overdrawn statements and proofs of negative balances for a big yellow ticket with a number printed on it. It was a coupon redeemable for one piece of artwork, active for one minute after their number was called over a P.A. system. Of the three hundred pieces we had, only 40 were on display at a time. As a number was called, a painting was taken off the wall and given to the recipient. From the inventory a new painting was brought forth and hung where the previous work had stood. The excitement was based upon a constantly rotating collection of art and an arbitrary call-out of numbers, so the audience never knew who was to be called next and what work would be available at the time of calling. It was a blast.

Opening night we gave away 175 pieces of art, most to people who had never walked out of a gallery with a painting in their hands. The balance of the artwork was distributed at a less chaotic pace over the following Saturday and Sunday, until our walls were bare and staff exhausted. It was just one weekend of arts activity, but it was one of the most gratifying and exciting weekends of our life. For the artists, it was about getting stagnant artwork back out into circulation, for many financially strapped art lovers, it was a rare opportunity to take home an original piece of art by handing over proof of their (relative) poverty.