Starting your own collection, or a collection for your business or home, can be challenging, daunting and overwhelming, particularly if it's your first experience in the art world.
At Art Pharmacy we want to simplify this process and make it easy and enjoyable to bring more art into your life.
Start with an overarching theme or art narrative for the collection. For example, focus on Australian landscapes in any medium (painting, video and photography) or focus on collecting female artists. Choose a theme and go with it!
Buy a work of art because you like it, it emotionally moves you, and because you feel it will enhance your life and those around you. It’s important that you have a clear connection with the artwork and engage in its artistic style.
Visit art galleries, join your local art museums and non-profit art centres. Subscribe to their mailing lists to learn about new exhibitions and events. Be engaged. Curators often lectures on the artists. Find artists you fall in love with and go down a rabbit hole! The gallery staff are always helpful guides to your art education, don't be scared to engage with them.
Always keep a register of your art collection, use plaques to inform others about the artwork, and offer an art overview booklet at your reception. Also, for each artwork record the artist’s name, the title of the artwork, where you bought it and its dollar value for insurance purposes. Keep the invoices, receipts and certificate of verification for each artwork.
Commit an annual budget to purchasing art and stick to it. This could mean starting an art committee in your office to select artworks. Having 2-6 people seems to be the sweet spot. Dedicate to purchasing every year, in 5 years you will have an art collection everyone will be talking about! Having an art in your office engages staff and lets face it getting back to the office will be a drag after the comfort of home.
Read books on collecting art (we love Art Collector magazine) read reviews by local and national art critics, keeping in mind that reviews usually reflect one person’s opinion. Attend art fairs.
So why wait? Start collecting today!
Need some more help? Our art consultants are here to help! Get in touch at info@artpharmacy.com.au
Art Pharmacy is a full service art strategy and culture agency. Our Art Consultants are here to plan, manage and deliver creative projects that culturally enrich spaces and tell interesting stories using high- quality Australian art.
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