3 Reasons to Start an Art Collection Pronto
True confession: It took me 34 years to call myself an artist. I’m embarrassed to say that I associated that label with a whole mess of bad connotations that I mistakenly bought into and wanted to avoid. I also had major imposter syndrome, and being told by a former professor that I didn’t have any talent really didn’t help matters.
I got over it by realizing that each of us brings our own value systems to everything we do, and that we get out of art what we want to get out of art.
(And also that talent is a lot-bit bullshit, but that’s a rant for another time.)
Which brings me to art collections.
Close your eyes and imagine an art collector.
Early on in my career, here’s what I envisioned: Wealthy. Executive of something-or-other. At least two homes. Super comfortable in galleries and museum spaces. Name-dropper of art history and culture. Board member of influential organizations. Employed personal staff. Expansive and expensive wine collection. Skied a lot. New Yorker subscriber and they actually read every single issue.
(If it isn’t obvious, I had a not-small chip on my shoulder early on in my career.)
I’d like to propose blowing this lousy stereotype up. Happily, there are tons of folks who love and collect art and who are none of these things. And that very nice people are also those things.
THREE REASONS TO START AN ART COLLECTION NOW:
Conscious consumerism. News flash: artists are entrepreneurs and small business owners. By purchasing art regularly, you are directly supporting creative small businesses, assisting in establishing the careers of artists, and impacting the artist’s local economy.
Target art is crap. Let’s be real – many of us are working remotely more often these days, and none of us want to stare at Live, Laugh, Love inspirational posters all day long. Next.
It can be a smart financial move. Art *tends* to appreciate as an investment over time - even contemporary art. This is a much more complicated discussion and clearly depends on a variety of risks, factors, and selection bias in the art market. Yet, according to Troy Sadler, Managing Director of Art Works, the 2008 crisis led to a boom in the art market from 2009-2019, as folks wanted to invest in more “safe haven assets.”
BUT I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ART.
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that.
Guess what? You don’t have to. I’m of the opinion that anything that’s meaningful to you can be the basis of a collection. (Except Live, Laugh, Love posters. If that’s your jam, this is not the blog for you. Good luck with your future endeavors.)
You can collect yarn bombed bicycles. Carol Horn, Intertwine installation, ISU Design on Main, Ames, Iowa, 2016. Learn more about Intertwine here.
An art collection can be literal. You can collect shoulder length earrings, alpaca sweaters, ticket stubs for theatre productions, concert posters, art postcards, or quilts. Above all, your art collection should reflect your values. Only you know what’s important to you - social justice, sustainability, your hometown, your faith, your family.
Next week, we’ll dive into how to get started in connecting with artists who make work that’s inspiring to you.
Have a friend who loves Target art? Share this and change their life. :)
P.S. - Speaking of postcard art collections, I’ve been on a kick sending postcards that share stories of individuals making their towns better places to live. Want one?
P.P.S - In case you’ve missed out, be sure to read:
