Brooklyn, NY– Buying art should be fun, not intimidating. You don’t have to be rich or well-connected to collect fabulous art. Instead of buying reproductions or museum posters, you can enjoy original artwork that showcases all the details, textures and colors that an artist envisioned when creating it. Where to begin? How to make sense of the art business? What to look for when buying art? What guidelines do other collectors use? Answers to these questions will be at the heart of Collecting Art: 101, a free panel discussion presented by Arts Gowanus in conjunction with Gowanus Open Studios 2013, where experts will answer questions about the “ins and outs” of buying art that you will love and enjoy for years to come. The discussion will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2013, 10:30 AM to 12:00 Noon, at Halyards Bar, 406 Third Avenue @ 6th Street, in Brooklyn.
The goal of this panel discussion is to give the beginning art collector useful strategies, inspiration, and confidence to buy art. Knowledgeable panelists (including 440’s Nancy Lunsford) – art consultants, gallery directors and experienced art collectors – will discuss a range of topics critical to the early stages of the art collecting process:
– How to recognize what style of art you like (taste)
– What kinds of artwork are most appropriate for new and developing collectors
– How to determine how much money to spend (budget/value)
– How to find the art you like and go about purchasing it (sources and services)
This is an opportunity for art lovers to bring along those unanswered questions about how to buy an original work of art, and will be the perfect launching pad for visitors going to artist studios during the Gowanus Open Studios weekend. Over 200 active artists in the Gowanus neighborhood, including four from 440 Gallery (Ellen Chuse, Karen Gibbons, Katharine C. Hopkins, Ella Yang), will be opening their studios to the public from noon-6pm on Oct 19th and 20th (For more info: www.artsgowanus.org).
Panelist Bios
Jane Kim is an avid collector of contemporary art and a contemporary art dealer, gallerist, and curator based in New York. Kim’s passion for collecting art originates from an intimate experience with artists and their work process in the exhibition context, largely from her professional experience at galleries in New York City and Paris. She launched her first gallery Thrust Projects in 2005, which subsequently became Jane Kim Gallery, an online gallery for contemporary art featuring pop-up shows in NYC. Kim is currently developing Fruit & Vegetable Supply Inc., a space for gallerists without permanent spaces to host their artists alongside Kim’s curated exhibitions.
Jessica Porter is the founder and director of Porter Contemporary, a gallery in the Chelsea art district of New York City. In addition to showcasing artists, she advises businesses and individuals on growing their arts activities, art collections or simply providing the tools to learn more about art. She has launched various programs in the arts industry over the last six years including an art rental program through Porter Contemporary and ArtToGift, an online arts program focused on offering affordable art.
Nancy Lunsford is the director and co-founder of 440 Gallery, an artists’ collective based in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Eight years ago, Lunsford and 440 Gallery co-founder Shanee Epstein decided to open an artist-run space independent of the shifting winds of “the art market.” At the same time, they wanted to create a friendly and mutually beneficial environment for other artists, art-lovers and buyers. Today, 440 Gallery is a model for a happy achievement of those goals.
Tim Newton, a self-described art addict, has been collecting art for over 15 years. He started out buying Western landscapes from artists and galleries in Wyoming and Montana. Eventually, Newton broadened his interest to still life and maritime scenes, as well as sculpture. Newton seeks artwork he finds captivating, but also affordable. To help promote the arts and artists he loves, Newton founded and is the chief curator of American Masters Art, hosted at the Salmagundi Club in New York City.
Jesa Damora (moderator) an artist and an arts marketer who helps creative types focus and realize their goals, get known, and make a better living. She runs FunnelCake Marketing out of Artisan’s Asylum, the country’s largest makerspace in Somerville, MA, where she co-directs workshops on the business of art. She has also been Marketing Coordinator for one of the largest open studios events in the country. Lately, she is the resident marketing guru for Gowanus Open Studios in Brooklyn. She will also gladly carry on about short-track speedskating and how to make lemon curd.
440 Gallery was named “Best Gallery” by The L Magazine in their February 27, 2013, issue featuring The Best Stores in Brooklyn. In June, 2013, 440 Gallery and Shanee Epstein’s solo exhibition were reviewed as “worth a look” by Art in Limbo in their series on Brooklyn galleries.
The 440 Gallery is in Park Slope, convenient to the F, M, and R subways. The gallery is open Thursday and Friday, 4:00 – 7:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM, or by appointment. Check the gallery’s website, www.440gallery.com, for more information.
