Cedar Rapids Museum of Art’s Workshop Lecture “10 Ways to Collect on a Budget” Part II

by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com



Last time I wrote about a neat workshop/lecture I attended at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art entitled “10 Ways to Collect on a Budget”, focusing on the Vogel gift to the museum. (see last post).
http://www.crma.org/Exhibition/Detail/Current/Less-is-More-The-Vogel-Gift-of-Minimal-and-Conceptual-Art.aspx

Part II of this post discusses the second part of the lecture: ways everyone can collect art on a budget, ideas below presented by CRMA museum Director Terry Pitts and Curator Sean Ulmer:


Idea #1: Collect Locally
You don’t have to jet set or go to a large city to collect art. Go local and collect from artists in your area or region of the country. Saves big on transportation!

Idea #2 Go Online to Learn about Artists You are Interested in
You can learn about artists in your area by speaking with gallery owners and checking them out on the web. Google or Yahoo the name of an artist you are interested in and learn more about them- how they create, their history, where they are going artistically.

Idea #3: Go to Art Gallery “Gallery Walks”
Many art galleries hold open house “gallery walks”, or “self guided gallery tours” several times a year where the public is invited to come in for a gallery open house to meet the artists they represent and see their latest work. This is a way to enjoy food and beverages, meet the gallery artists, and see a variety of work in a wide range of price points.

Idea #4: See as Much Art as Possible
The more art you see, the more you will get a feel for what you like and what you don’t. This will help you hone your art eye and help you focus your collecting.

Idea #5: There is Art for Every Budget
You don’t have to be loaded to own art. You can start your collection at your local thrift shop! You never know what you may find. Start small, figure out what you like, and move forward from there. As you build your collection, you may cull your collection and eliminate certain pieces to keep the best or narrow your focus.

Idea #6: Even if You can’t Afford the Big Painting, You may be Able to Afford Something Else from That Same Artist
Terry Pitts and Sean Ulmer showed examples of artist’s ephemera . So if the big painting isn’t affordable, maybe a smaller piece, a signed book, a signed gallery catalog, an artist’s invitation, etc may fit the budget.

Idea #7 Check out Auction Houses and Art Fairs
You can find art at auction and in art fairs such as the Art Chicago http://www.artchicago.com/
Auction houses such as Jackson’s (Cedar Falls, Iowa) http://www.jacksonsauction.com/

Leslie Hindman (Downtown Chicago, Illinois) http://www.lesliehindman.com/
and
Sotheby’s http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/event/EventSearchResults.jsp?event_landing=true

Remember: You can collect art for investment, collect art for pure pleasure, collect art for obsession. The point is to collect art you like.