The combination of cheap and art may conjure caricatures sketched for tourists on Robson Street. But those who want to find a bargain, support local artists and proudly display their acquisitions for years to come might want to check out The Cheaper Show No. 9 in Gastown this Saturday (June 26).

Visitors will find 400 pieces of art by 200 international artists all priced at $200 on the freshly painted white walls of the old Storyeum site, 151 West Cordova St.) The works are mostly paintings and photographs with more sculpture than previous years.

At the last Cheaper Show in 2008, creative director and co-founder Graeme Berglund said more than 5,000 people queued down the street and around the corner to get into the six-hour show.

Some of the biggest bargain hunters and art aficionados bought up to 15 pieces in 2008, so this year, purchases are restricted to three per person.

Berglund says The Cheaper Show, previously called Cheaper Than a One Night Stand, was inspired by frustration with the lack of gallery interest and Vancouver's limited gallery scene in 2001.

"I literally drove around the city with my artwork in the back of a pickup truck and simply couldn't get any interest from anyone that I spoke to," said Berglund, who's now represented in Western Canada by the Douglas Udell Gallery. "It inspired us to create our own show and do it in this format that both our friends and our peers would find accessible and affordable and more user friendly than your average art show."

Berglund and 12 working artists from the East Side who've been organizing the show won't include their own work in the exhibit, allowing more of the predominantly local, emerging artists to show up to three pieces.

"We'll be selling hundreds of pieces of artwork within a six-hour period--that's a pretty special thing to be a part of," Berglund said. "It's an entirely different feeling than going to a gallery opening on South Granville and, for somebody from my economic background, things feel very untouchable."

One of Berglund's favourite success stories stemming from The Cheaper Show is that of Bob Scott, known for his painted cork carvings. He hadn't previously received gallery interest, but when he showed seven pieces at a Cheaper show, they all sold and further acclaim followed.

"He literally was down at a table at the end of the night and he was just sitting there, bawling his eyes out, because he'd never had anything like that take place in his life," Berglund said.

The Cheaper Show started showing works by artists from other locales, including Arizona, San Francisco and New York five years or so ago. Now it's including submissions from Lithuania, Croatia and Barbados.

"This person from Barbados, they spent $260 sending their work [two photographs] to the show," Berglund said. "That's the level of interest in actually being involved in this show is at this point, which is totally not what the plan was. We just simply threw it [in 2001] to have a good time and support our friends and now, over the years, the exponential growth that's taken place is unheard of in its own way."

Well-known artists including Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, Paul Paper and Jason MacLean will show their work alongside that of newbies, also selling their pieces for $200.

"There's something really kind of magical about the fact that these people who are definitely highly recognized artists in our Canadian contemporary art scene are showing alongside people that are showing for their very first time," Berglund said.

The first Cheaper show featured 40 works by 11 artists, priced at $75, at the cozy, defunct Sugar Refinery in 2001. Berglund said 200 people attended.

This year, curators selected 400 works from 950 submissions from 200 cities worldwide to be exhibited in the 30,000 square foot Storyeum space.

The Cheaper Show No. 9 included a preview night for gallery owners from B.C., Seattle and Portland. Mayor Gregor Roberston proclaimed June 26 Cheaper Show Day and a live stream of the event will broadcast on artlive.tv. The art festivities will culminate with three after parties.

To celebrate it's 10th show next summer, The Cheaper Show will host its first installment in Toronto, along with a Vancouver show.

As Vancouver's population expands, so does its art scene, Berglund says. "Vancouver's continually derided for its lack of culture but this is changing as more people come in with more money."

The Cheaper Show No. 9 runs 6 p.m. to midnight. Entrance is by donation, with a recommended minimum of $5. Sales are cash only, with ATMs onsite. Participating artists receive 75 per cent of the sale with the remainder offsetting production costs. For more information, see thecheapershow.com.

crossi@vancourier.com