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Why Art Dealers Are Very Different Than Art Galleries
If you are interested in a unique investment, an art collection can be a wonderful and beautiful place to put your money. Real, original art will often increase in value over time and is much more interesting to look at than a stock portfolio. Art dealers are an important part of building that collection, and finding the right art dealer is very important. Here are a few things to look for when choosing an art dealer.
The first thing you need to do is your homework. Some of the best art collections tend to be built along certain criteria. This means you can purchase art from one geographical area (all Canadian art, for example), art from one particular artist, or even art that is all created using the same materials. Knowing what you are looking at when viewing art is incredibly helpful, especially if you want to build a collection that is one particular style such as all realism or all abstract.
Art dealers often have websites that you can look at to get a feel for what they are offering. They may not often have prices listed but many sites will have glossary sections where you can learn a little about art in general. You should also visit galleries in your area to get acquainted with the local art scene and learn more about art as well.
You will find that galleries and dealers have a different focus on artwork in general. You want to make sure that you get a good balance of both perspectives, since you will be living with your art collection. Most of us do not have the funds to purchase artwork just so that we can store it and resell it. We also have to live with the purchases we make. But, dealers can help because they may advise you which of two equally appealing pieces is likely to appreciate the most in value.
There is a difference between corporate art collections and private art collections, and building each of these collections is a completely different process. Personal art collections are equally about personal enjoyment and building and retaining value. Corporate art collections are designed to enhance offices and boardrooms and are as much about projecting the message that the company wants to put forth as it is about the value of the artwork. If you are trying to build a corporate art collection, you need to make sure that you are working with an art dealer who has experience in that area.
You can find art dealers on line and in art magazines as well. You want to look for dealers that offer the kind of artwork that you are interested in, whether that is based on a medium or a style. Art dealers often have original artwork in a range of prices to choose from. Sometimes the best artwork investment is not the most expensive. This is because they are completed by beginning artists who later have artwork that sharply appreciate in value.
If you are building a collection, you should focus on original artwork rather than prints and reproductions. A reproduction can be a great way to afford a piece you love but cannot afford, but you do need to remember that for value, only originals will do. A numbered giclee reproduction will also keep some value, but an original is something you should buy whenever possible.
You want to make sure that you find an art dealer that you work well with because chances are you will be working with them for quite some time. You may want to make sure that you are dealing with an art dealer rather than an art gallery. An art gallery tends to want to promote the artists they represent and may not be aware of the relative value and investment potential of artwork. An art dealer should have an idea about the art market and can give you advice that will help increase the value of your collection.
An art collection can be wonderful. It is a beautiful way for you to decorate your home and can become quite valuable over time. The only problem may be that when it comes time to sell the pieces on, you love them so much you won’t want to see them go.
If you are seeking for a new way to decorate your home, you may want to look on artist websites so that you can find a few good art dealers out there.
Tags: art website, art websites, artist website, photography websites, Poetry
Posted in Poetry · November 17th, 2009 · Comments (0)