survivalskills1

=**//Hunters & Gatherers; the Way of the Collector//**=

The past few years, the Contemporary Museum of Art in Atlanta has been hosting a series of lectures and workshops for local artists called “Artist Survival Skills.” On Wednesday, March 8th, 2006, I was fortunate enough to attend the first session entitled “Hunters and Gatherers; The Way of the Collector.” Amy Perry of The Contemporary is the workshop series coordinator. The format for tonight’s workshop was a panel of four local collectors of varying intensity: Anna Walker-Skillman, Curator of Jackson Fine Art Gallery; Joe Massey, local photography collector; Karen Comer-Lowe, works for non-profit organizations and for beginning collectors; and David Schuster, a regular everyday art collector. The following report is a synopsis of the workshop:

~Collecting begins as a small child with shells, rocks, coins, Star Wars figures, etc.

Who is the Collector? ~ Beauty, Value and Interest-level is subjective. There is no way to define a “typical” collector

Why do you collect art? Joe: Appreciates the artist’s ability to communicate David: Always enjoyed art. He had some extra money when he lived in Asheville, NC and was able to begin purchasing art.

Why do clients collect? Karen: Has novice collectors seeking advice to start or strengthen their collection Anna: Also has novice collectors, plus people who just want to decorate their homes with nice art.

How do you learn about artists? David: He visits galleries, meets artists or other collectors, reads the various papers and magazines, visits museums and galleries in other cities. Joe: Goes to gallery openings, likes when he is able to meet the artist. Karen: Takes clients to meet the artists studios she represents. She also talks to people in the industry, reads a lot of the reviews, and talks to various people she meets. Anna: When determining if she wants her gallery to represent an artist, she looks at the career of the artist… what school they attended, and previous bodies of work. She has had luck recently finding artists at Art Fairs. She also watches persistent artists She takes this time to also give some tips: She feels that beginning artists need to toughen up and be able to accept rejection. They should also be persistent to galleries they want to be represented by. Anna suggested having artist’s current collectors to call prospective galleries and ask about them (the artist)—this gets the galleries attention that they (the artist) may have potential. She also prefers websites links or emails over 35mm slides. She feels that slides are out of date. Karen: Submit work to galleries that has similar work to yours David: Does not like to read (pay attention to) current art reviews. He watches artists for a “jump” in skill-level or concept—then he will make the purchase.

Where do you go to see artists? Anna: Makes studio visits. She prefers to see the work in the artist’s environment. She does go to Art Fairs, but thinks it’s an overload. She reads art magazines. She visits other regional museums. She also believes that it is inappropriate for artists to walk into a gallery with their portfolio. David: Does not really do studio visits. He feels that that is the artist’s personal space. He seeks advice from the gallery owners like Marcia Wood, who he has built a relationship with over the years, and whose advice he trusts. Joe: Seeks advice from gallery owners as well. He said there are too many shows per year and he does not have enough money to buy a piece from each show. He likes to go to art fairs. Anna: Feels that art fairs are too pressurized and too much of an overload for collectors to buy at. She said that some collectors have “Wish Lists” Joe: Tries NOT to buy art in New York. He feels that ruins the art scene in Atlanta by going to other cities. He makes several trips to a gallery before he purchases art. He does NOT buy on impulse.

How important are Alternative Spaces? Anna: believes that new artists should do what they need to do to get their art into the public eye. Joe: Calls this “Pre-Gallery Art” and feels that it is perfect for emerging artists.

Final thoughts Anna: Use Art Fairs as an opportunity to meet gallery owners—NOT as a place to sell yourself or try to get IN to galleries. Artists can also use these fairs to look for current themes and trends.

//Visit:// The Contemporary