Occoquan Home Buyers to Receive Occoquan Art Discount

From Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta: 

At the recent meeting of Leadership Prince William, Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta announced the kick-off of the new “Art, Etc. from Occoquan” program.  The initiative offers anyone who purchases a house in 2012 a 15 percent discount on art work from Occoquan’s four art galleries:  (313 Mill Street),  (309 Mill Street),  (310 Mil Street), and  (304 Mill Street). Together the four galleries include some 50 artists working in a variety of media.

To participate, realtors and others involved in the real estate market simply send an email request to Mayor Porta.  Once added to the list of participating real estate professionals they receive a simple one page form to be filled out, notarized, and provided to the purchaser to document the closing date of the real estate purchase. The purchaser then simply shows this form to obtain the 15 percent discount when purchasing art at Occoquan’s four galleries.  Discounts are available for up to six months after closing, as long as the real estate transaction is concluded in 2012.

Mayor Porta got the idea for the program from listening to various artists at a recent panel outside of Occoquan discuss ways of encouraging people to purchase art.  

“After listening to the artists, the idea of putting real estate professionals and artists together seemed liked a natural fit,” said Porta, “and I was very pleased with the way Occoquan’s art gallery owners and artists responded.”  

It was the artists, says Porta, who actually came up with the idea of making the promotion last for six months after closing.  “I had originally proposed 30 days,” said Porta, “but the artists thought people should have more time.”

There are some restrictions on the discount.  It is not valid for note cards and items under $25.  Additionally, two of the more than 50 artists in town declined to participate.  This is all spelled out, according to Porta, on the one page form home purchasers would receive from their settlement agent or realtor to document the closing date of the purchase and receive the discount.

“The hope, of course,” says Porta, “is that real estate professionals will use participation in the program as an incentive that will redound to the benefit of the purchaser, the realtor, and the artists.  Naturally, we also hope people who visit Occoquan’s great art galleries will find other interesting things to do here as well.”

The two inaugural groups who have signed on for the program are and Greg Wilson of in Occoquan.  Porta expects more realtors to sign on once information about the program becomes more widespread.  Real estate professionals who wish to participate should email Mayor Porta at mayorporta@comcast.net.