A large portion of this blog is me complaining about things. It’s the nature of a solo writing project, I suppose. When motivated neither by external deadlines nor by a shared sense of purpose, one tends to write primarily, if not exclusively, about outrages and annoyances and such. That’s motivation: Saying things that seem to need to be said, and feeling the relief of having hopefully said them well.

It’s satisfying, to be sure. And it’s a great way to sharpen one’s rhetorical skills. But it is not always, strictly speaking, productive.

Which is why I am so happy to share with you–you being anyone who happens to be reading this–a project that does provide me with practical motivations and deadlines, and that does allow me to share a common purpose with others. It is a project of which I am immensely proud to be be a part, and a project that aims to do genuine good.

Gray Blush Gallery is a new online art-space conceived as a service to artists, to art-buyers, and to those who want to become art-buyers. Our goal is to create a home for what we are provisionally calling mid-market art–that is, a home for all of the wonderful art-objects currently being produced that do not fit neatly or exclusively into the rarefied world of top-tier galleries, or into catch-all “handmade” spaces such as Etsy.

Some artists are comfortable in both of those worlds, and some are comfortable in neither–yet most of the spaces that bridge that gap tend to focus on prints and reproductions rather than unique art-objects. This leaves original paintings, drawings, sculptures, and myriad forms of mixed media art with relatively few opportunities to find buyers, no matter how exciting or well-executed the work it self may be.

So Gray Blush Gallery means to do something about that. If you want to buy art but don’t know where to start, we want to help. If you’re deep into contemporary art and want to see exciting new talent, we want to show it to you. If you produce innovative work and are looking for a gallery that shares your values, we want to be that space, is the idea.

We’re committed to giving our artists the highest possible percentages of our listing prices, we’re committed to packing and shipping the art in an environmentally friendly manner (and also to energy-efficient servers), and we’re committed to direct social engagement. Currently, the family of companies of which we’re a part is working to further agricultural development, health care education, support to previously trafficked women, and elementary school construction in southwestern Ethiopia.

If Gray Blush Gallery sounds like your kind of thing, then take a look at our preview site (which will be around at least until the full site launches) or drop us a line at info@grayblush.com.

That’s what I’ve been up to lately. And while I don’t plan to forswear complaining anytime soon, being productive is awfully nice, too.

[UPDATE: Gray Blush Gallery has unfortunately closed down, as so many startups (even the really interesting and valuable ones) do. Thanks again to everyone who visited, made a purchase, or contributed.]