Thousands and thousands of paintings, drawings and prints from 1870 - 1970 will be on view and for sale in a unique new art event coming to downtown Denver the last two weekends in April. The Mile High Bargain Fine Art Fair lets art enthusiasts purchase works by listed and important artists the same way the art dealers buy it - at wholesale prices. In fact, the bulk of the pieces will be sold for $5 - $50.

This new breed of art fair is the brainchild of private art dealer Norm Anderson and collectors Lee and Jennifer Ballentine. Anderson is one of the foremost dealers in historic regional Colorado and New Mexico art, and the Ballentines are widely recognized as experts in handling artists' estates. This fair will offer a rare chance to collect affordable works by many of Colorado's biggest art names.

"Especially for this event, we've acquired the inventory of retiring art dealers in our area - things that haven't seen the light of day for decades," says Lee Ballentine. "And we have collections from neighboring states, so there is a wide variety of things that local buyers have never seen. . . and much of it is really gorgeous. By buying collections of over 1,000 pieces, we are able to give amazingly good prices to the Fair attendees."

If it seems a bit philanthropic, it's because Anderson and the Ballentines are art lovers and collectors as well as dealers. While they do sell expensive paintings to collectors, museums, and corporations, this trio is also committed to making historic fine art "affordable for everyone."

They have also been known to pay "strong prices" for pieces they want, of course. And some pieces at the upcoming sale will be priced accordingly - with the caveat that nothing will cost more than $1,500.

"This is different from the contemporary art market," Anderson explains. "Our artists are almost all listed in art reference books and their work is regularly sold at auction. Their reputations were established years ago, so there's not the uncertainty that sometimes comes with investing in contemporary art."

Original vintage prints will be featured prominently at the upcoming Fair. It's an area of art collecting that has recently been growing in popularity. Says Ballentine, "Most people know that particular Audubon prints can command thousands of dollars. They may not know that other Audubons, equally beautiful, can be bought from print dealers for $100-$300. What we've done is to obtain pieces that are below the radar of high-end dealers so we can offer the same piece for $20."

In addition to Audubon, the Mile High Bargain Fine Art Fair will include pieces from some leading artists' estates, including Edgar Britton, Charles Bunnell, Mina Conant, Martha Epp, Paul K. Smith, John Edward Thompson, William Traher, Joe Wano-Gaano, Hugh Weller and others.

"A painting by Paul K. Smith may sell for $5,000 in a Lodo gallery--and it is well worth the price, " says Jennifer Ballentine. "We'll have smaller, quirkier paintings, and other paintings that are unsigned but with the artist's official estate stamp, for a fraction of that price. And a beautiful pencil drawing or a small print may be priced as low as $20."

The sale includes virtually every style of art imaginable, from abstract to art deco, western to WPA, and more. Antique maps, botanical prints and vintage photographs are also part of the mix.

The Mile High Bargain Fine Art Fair takes place April 18 - 20, and again April 25 - 27, at the Gilmore Art Center, 2119 Curtis St., located next door to Mile High Framing (a well-known landmark among local art dealers).

Admission to the fair is free. The Grand Opening is Friday, April 18 at 11 am, and the show continues for two weekends (April 18 - 20 and April 25 - 27). Hours are 11 - 6 Friday and Saturday; noon - 5 on Sundays. For more information, call 303-756-5222.