Art fanatic

I gave a little talk about art collecting on Friday night at Pyramid Atlantic and thought this picture taken by Taylor Wyant pretty well summed up my presentation. It conveys my fanaticism and passion for art collecting! Collecting art can change your life and I know this because it changed my life. Stop laughing. I am serious. Through art collecting, I have learned so much about myself. I have met many fascinating people who have inspired me to become a more creative person in my own right and to think of more creative ways to solve problems. Art collecting has also provided me with an avenue for creative self-expression and it has given me the opportunity to help others as well. Art communicates to us from the past and teaches us about the past, and it is also a way to engage with other cultures. Sounds like some kind of elixir doesn't it?!

Some other points from my talk: What makes a good collector? Passion, commitment to learn, and a willingness to make mistakes. I cribbed that from a lecture I'd heard earlier in the week by the director of the Chicago Art Institute at SAAM.

How do you know if what you want to buy is any good? Hone your eye by looking at a lot of art. Go to art fairs, galleries, museums. Talk to other collectors; sometimes they are your best source of information. Learn to articulate what you like and don’t like.

I kinda veered off my outline when people started asking me questions, which was almost right away. Basically, I think many more people would collect original art if the art world were less mystifying and more welcoming. Hope I can help change that.


Look how riveted everyone appears!