Megan Hoban saw a pattern in her fellow 30-something friends. They’d covet original art they found at shows and at her parents’ gallery, Prairiebrooke Arts, but they wouldn’t take the plunge. For the scale they’d need for their homes, they told her, they couldn’t spare the expense. So they’d settle instead for ubiquitous ready-framed pieces from stores such as Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target.

“It just killed me,” Hoban says. “They’d hang these pieces above the mantel that they’d sell at a garage sale for $20 or less a few years later.”

So Hoban created a new option: Artsy. It’s available through Artsyarts.com and at Prairiebrooke in downtown Overland Park, where Hoban grew up learning the art business from her parents, Mike and Brooke Morehead. She has worked primarily as a corporate art consultant but also helps people select art for their homes.

“This is for someone who wants art between Pottery Barn and fine art gallery price points,” Hoban says.

Prints

Artsy includes 4,000 images by more than 300 artists. Customer can order a print at whatever size they want on canvas or slightly less expensive fine art paper.

“Size is not usually a way people can customize,” Hoban says. “Usually, you have to find a piece and make it work in your home. This works the other way around. Designers really love it. You won’t find these pieces in everyone’s houses.”

The prints are giclees, a term that comes from the French word for spurts of liquid. Translated into art terms, giclees are fine-art digital prints made on inkjet printers.

Artists

To demonstrate Artsy, Hoban shows an original painting by Jennifer Bertrand, the local artist who won season 3 of HGTV’s reality competition “Design Star.” Next to it is a framed Artsy print of the painting.

Another local artist Hoban works with is Julie Hansen of Parkville. National artists include Jonathan Adler, famous mostly for his mod pottery and furnishings, and Amy Butler, known for her fabric designs.

Similar to original art, each Artsy piece comes with a biography of the artist.

Framing

The average Artsy piece costs between $350 and $700. Each is framed using Larson-Juhl archival framing materials at Prairiebrooke Arts.

Online tools on Artsy.com including frame moldings and wall colors that allow you to visualize what a piece would look like in your home.

Stacy Downs is the Star’s House + Home editor and can be reached at 816-234-4780. Check out House + Home’s Pinterest page for inspiration and ideas at pinterest.com/ HouseandHomeKC.