Last Saturday afternoon, a room filled of art lovers gathered at Peltz Gallery to learn about collecting art. Cissy Peltz sponsored her 22nd Remarkable Women Show where the great art produced by over 40 women in multiple mediums attracted special attention. While visitors enjoyed the show and several artists were there to answer questions, the gallery also hosted a seminar with four expert speakers who found themselves barraged after the discussion with questions on collecting art that truly celebrated the 25th anniversary of the quarterly Milwaukee event.
Executive Director and Curator of Collections at the Racine Art Museum Bruce Pepich began the afternoon by offering a special hand out enumerating 12 “rules” or his suggestions for collecting antiques, collectibles, contemporary craft or fine art. He enthusiastically explained that any individual could enjoy focusing on one of these four categories or selecting from several, whatever peaks a personal or unique interest in the collector. Within each of these categories multiple choices might make it difficult to choose where to begin, which requires an exploration process that can become a lifetime pursuit and fun, whether merely admiring or making a purchase. While Pepich presented his one dozen “rules,” available in print when visiting the Racine Art Museum, all the speakers concentrated on a few key thoughts:
1. Enjoy the process of learning about and then collecting art. Limited budgets bring out the challenge to being creative and encourage avant-garde thinking in purchasing affordable and exciting art. Large bank accounts become less essential than enthusiasm and persistence in becoming a successful art collector.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
2. Train your inquisitive intellect and visual eye by visiting and asking questions from art dealers or galleries, artists, educational institutions, special one day programs and local museums. Milwaukee provides incredible resources and hands on workshops for creating art as another way to understand a particular process, even when you might be less than successful at becoming a master painter. You learn the finer points required to produce an artwork that helps when evaluating a specific piece. Research what catches your eye and what you might be interested in purchasing and adding to your business or personal living spaces.
3. Collect and purchase art because the work touches your aesthetic and emotional soul, a piece that might continually hold your interest. The piece needs “to speak to you” in some way ,either emotionally, intellectually, philosophically, spiritually or visually. Buy what you love instead of what you think you should buy and for other than investment purchases, especially with the first purchase.
4. Collecting begins a journey to appreciate, enjoy, grow and stimulate experience by visiting commercial art galleries in the city and when you travel, art fairs, artist guilds, college exhibitions, art programs, art fundraisers and university galleries.Even children's art has emotional and visual value to enrich one's life, and whether purchasing an established, well known artist or a newcomer with potential, realize the great benefit you will derive from the art you place in you path. The Hammer Museum of Art in Los Angeles states on its website: "Art impacts and illuminates life, it plays a crucial role in all human existence."
A tiny sampling of art exhibitions currently on display to help you in the creative hunt:
“Blue Triangles” at the Marshall Building's Grava Gallery exhibits playful abstract images by Michael Paul DiOrio. Filled with colorful geometric planes and shapes applied with textural brushstrokes, the beginning collector will enjoy this foray into non-literal art on a smaller scale while also smiling at Steve Wirtz's humorous animal and very affordable animal sculptures named with witty titles.
“Sugar is Combustible: BCC MKE” at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center presents photographer Thomas Hellstrom and offers affordable prints. His retrospective covers 8 countries and 30 international cities through his 125 images together with a visual photo stream that includes ten hours of continuous images played on a video that can also be found online (thomashellstrom.blogspot.com).
“Adorned” at Greymatter Gallery features large scale and beautifully textured prints by Tyanna Buie based on photographs and screenprint techniques that recreate family history and legacy. Buie incorporates actual family images into her artwork.
Morning Glory Art Gallery offers a continual selection of fine art or craft in various mediums at their location inside the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.
Please tell us where you enjoy buying your art or what was the very first piece of art you purchased and why it was important or memorable.
