After displaying her charcoal art piece “Halemeoni” (meaning ‘grandmother’ in Korean) at the Del Mar Fair in her sophomore year, Judy Kang (12) did what she does with all of her other completed art projects: she wrapped the piece in muslin fabric to prevent the charcoal from smearing and put it in a pile of other works in her home for safekeeping.

 For two years, the 14-by-20-inch piece remained in storage. Then, on Nov. 11, the day before this year’s National Portfolio Day, when Kang was gathering her art pieces that she wanted critiques on from art college ambassadors, she pulled it out. When she lifted “Halemeoni,” she discovered a small sheet of notebook paper attached to its backside reading “interest in buying” along with a person’s name and contact information. 

“I was so shocked because I had never received a note like it before,” Kang said. “The note said that my piece was ‘a work of genius’ and that they were interested in buying the piece, and it felt so cool to know someone was interested in having my art in their home.”

For days, Kang contemplated whether or not to contact the potential buyer, as she wasn’t sure if they were still interested in buying the work after two years. To Kang, making art has always been an act of self-reflection and emotional expression. In “Halemeoni,” the central figure represents Kang’s grandmother and childhood caretaker, making it an especially intimate work for her.

“Art has always been a personal way of dealing with emotions and because of that, ‘Halemeoni’s meaning has evolved for me over time,” Kang said. “When my grandmother moved to Korea from America, it was a big change for me. Seeing the work after I created [it] helped me come to terms with the growing physical distance in our relationship.”

Kang reached out to the buyer a couple of days after finding the note and immediately felt that her artwork had found its owner when she learned of the buyer’s personal connection to it.

“[The buyer] told me over text how they felt so moved when they had seen it at the Del Mar Fair two years ago and how they remembered my artwork,” Kang said. “It was really cool to hear that. I’d never made art before with the intention of selling it, so it was interesting to see how someone could feel so emotionally connected to it and see a different meaning in the work from the one I have.”

In pricing her piece, Kang reached out to art teacher Keith Opstad about his experience with selling art pieces. 

“I told Mr. Opstad about how I was considering selling the piece, and I mainly asked him what would be a reasonable price to sell it at,” Kang said. “He told me that based on the dimensions of the piece, the medium, the time it took me to create it, and considering that it would be my first art sale, it would make sense to price it at around $200. Because “Halemeoni” was one of the first times I’d ever used charcoal before, I thought it was a really generous price.”

Kang initially offered to sell the piece for $200, as per Opstad’s suggestion, but she received an unexpected answer from the buyer. 

“When I offered my initial price, [the buyer] said it was way less than what my work was worth and told me that the piece was worth at least $2,000,” Kang said. “I was really flattered to hear that someone would want to pay so much to have one of my pieces, and I still can’t believe that I could price one of my works so high.”

Agreeing to the offer, Kang dropped her piece off at her buyer’s workplace and closed her first ever sale. 

Kang said that after this experience, she’s interested in pursuing more commercial art, commissions, and sharing her art with other people.

“It felt really great to know that my art was being displayed by someone who really liked it, and I want to focus more of my subject matter on things that might attract buyers,” Kang said. “I’ve addressed some societal issues in my art like smoking and body image, and I want to do more of that in my future pieces.”

Kang is currently in the process of applying to art colleges and hopes to pursue a degree in drawing and painting in the future. After her first sale, Kang said that she feels much more confident in her decision.

“Growing up, it was always ‘you’re going to be a doctor and a lawyer,’ but I’ve always known I’ve wanted to take a creative path,” Kang said. “After this sale, I think I really proved to myself and others that I can make a creative career out of art.”