ARTXPUZZLES: PUZZLE WITH PURPOSE
RACHEL VANCELETTE
AKA: Global Citizen Rachel Vancelette is the owner of Vancelette Global Art Acquisitions Corp, a multi-faceted contemporary art and fashion creative agency dedicated to uniting contemporary and modern art, travel, lifestyle, design, and fashion. The company provides top-tier global art acquisition services focusing on contemporary art markets and provides consultation to international art collectors, artists, galleries and art/fashion industry clientele. If that wasn’t enough, she is also an art industry specialist for magazines including Vogue Italia, Medium, Metropolitan Magazine, Mandatory, Urban Mindz, etc . She founded ARTXPUZZLES, Puzzle with Purpose in 2020 in response to the COVID19 pandemic. Her prior experience includes positions as Senior Director at galleries such as Yvon Lambert NY/Paris, and Gladstone Gallery/NY, etc helping to forge long-lasting relationships with so many international artists, curators and art colleagues over the years.
Your greatest inspirations or influences?
I am inspired every day during the COVID19 pandemic by artists, creatives, first responders, and simply by the acts I have experienced of great charity, support and a sense of community. My greatest influences and inspirations have been the immediate “call to action” and unconditional acts of service for Covid19 Relief globally initiated by contemporary artists, fashion designers, multi-faceted creatives, art teachers and all our important heroes such as our First Responders. These amazing selfless heroes continue to work towards helping our world at large be a safe and better place. Throughout my entire life, I have been heavily influenced by contemporary art and artists from all parts of the world, it is my true passion to continue to support and advocate for artists. Prior to the pandemic, my professional art career was constantly traveling the world to see artworks, exhibitions, art fairs, art biennales, artist studios, fashion ateliers, runways shows and so much more. The impact and influence of different cultures and art communities continue to inspire and influence me during a sad time when we now mostly do it all from the safety of our home. I do hope for a brighter future for us all to come together again and there will be some definitive answers to the pandemic.
Tell us all about Art x Puzzles and things you are looking forward to this year.
Originally it began in my mind as an art project focused on supporting struggling artists and their studios as well as a charity component designed to donate funds on behalf of those charities trying to help victims of the Covid19 pandemic. I had envisioned only 20-30 artists at the beginning of the project, but it soon blossomed to now over 120 amazing top international and national artists and continues to grow into a worldwide movement and mission. Artist Marilyn Minter, Will Cotton, Spencer Tunick, Matthew Day Jackson, Kenny Scharf and so many more have contributed such amazing pieces of artwork to transform into a collector edition jigsaw puzzle!
The goal has been to create bespoke investment quality limited top-of-the-line jigsaw puzzles with the highest standard of craftsmanship. A few years ago, a puzzle went to auction and sold for $27,000, and we believe one cannot go wrong with an investment in an AXP puzzle of the highest caliber which is a very special collector’s item for many years to come, also they now are in the hands of many top art collections, museums and art collectors around the world.
We (AXP Team and the amazing artists) continue to ‘puzzle’ the pieces together for COVID19 and Artist Relief. The idea of a new space that would be all-inclusive and include artists from every corner of the planet has been an incredible experience. It has been an honor working with over 100 international contemporary artists, to learn their stories, and connect with them during a time when we all need a friendly phone call during a time when galleries and museums were closed, canceled and hard to access. It has been very healing for me during these extraordinary times. We simply continue to want to support and be artist advocates in this unique time in the contemporary art world.
How has this year changed your creativity or how you see the world changing moving forward?
This year I have been challenged to expand the creative horizons for an ARTXPUZZLE ‘global takeover’ in the land of Art Editions, all the while personally having to quarantine and be safe during the pandemic. My desire and love of seeing these top contemporary artworks in person have created a deep drive to bring these beautiful works to life and into homes so buyers can study beautiful contemporary artwork through recreations in jigsaw puzzles to be shared with family and friends. Not only is it an art lesson but it is known that doing jigsaw puzzles enhances the way the brain works in very positive, ingenious ways. Many studies have shown the act of jigsaw puzzling can help your health, improve your IQ and so much more!
The year 2020 and now 2021 has taught many of us to take the time to dream again… to have vision and grow in innovative and inventive ways making a space where contemporary artists can come together, even if not physically. We do not only want to continue to promote their artistic practices, art studios and artworks but also create a new space and scope of vision for artful meditation, healing and joy, conversation all with the act and mission of jigsaw puzzling with purpose, all while studying an amazing contemporary artwork for hours and/or even days.
Anything else you'd like to share?
We are also thrilled to have the recent news AXP has been accepted in Untitled Artfair in Miami in December 2021. AXP will soon be celebrating the art fair's 10th Anniversary year, and this invitation will help us continue to spread the message on the health benefits of puzzling, the excitement of new artworks while discovering new artists and building community. AXP is excited to be also launching upcoming new editions which will include special artist-created movie posters, artist’s magazine covers and more, expanding our horizons and shared space which includes where these artists’ work and create art outside their studios.
We also would like to thank all of the Artist Choice Charities who continue to do the work to support our artists and communities and their selfless acts of service such as First Responders Children’s Foundation and so many more.
Rachel, you are truly an inspiration and we are so proud of all your work. Guys check out more links to see all the other amazing stuff, she’s working on.