By Janet Sellers
People buy things they want. Collectors want inspiration. Artists, venues, and art lovers are glad to know art collectors buy art because they like it and want to be near it. Artists make imagination real in ways most could not on their own. Making something tangible from imagination brings ideas to physical form.
In a meeting with my art group, Sveva D’Antonio said she hungered for the vision that artists can give her besides the one she can see with her own eyes. This is always music to my heart!
Sometimes art collectors admit they long for the “one that got away” so they buy an artwork as soon as possible. They don’t want to regret not having something they know they love that provides personal value. Aarti Lohia, a global art collector who sits on the boards of philanthropies and museums, said in an Artnet interview that early in art collecting, she once let a favored watercolor get away. It was sold to someone else, and she was determined never to repeat such a mistake.
Where do art collectors like to go for art? Lohia supports the gallery ecosystem, saying, “I really like engaging with galleries and gallerists and the fruitful conversations that can come about with them. Galleries are so vital to the arts ecosystem and, in an era with increasing premiums and pressures on galleries, it’s important that we do not forget what a tremendous deal of work they put into introducing and developing the careers of artists.”
Prosperous galleries work assiduously. They sell the artists’ works. They develop relationships on behalf of artists, curators, and collectors. When I worked at Far East Fine Arts in San Francisco, my boss, Mr. J.Y. Tsao, was constantly networking on the phone or traveling far away. His great love for art informed his business acumen for the artist, the artworks, and for himself.
Tsao knew when and how much the price of artworks increased as an asset. Once, another dealer kept precious works for several months. Tsao knew the artworks had appreciated, but the sale was not complete. The dealer held out for months in order to sell high to his client, but this would cheat Far East Fine Arts of due profit. Tsao called him and vociferously informed the dealer their months-old agreement would be void sans immediate payment. Then he got off the phone, turned to me calmly, and cheerfully invited me to have a nice lunch.
His amazing self-control in business strength and kindness for us as staff taught me a powerful lesson: Be disciplined in business yet be kind at every opportunity. We had a wonderful lunch in Chinatown. Then we returned to the gallery. All afternoon, I joyfully continued my work of translating texts for an upcoming exhibition.
Janet Sellers is an award-winning artist, writer, creatives coach and public speaker. She enjoys making art and sharing art stories. Contact her at JanetSellers@OCN.me.
Leave a Comment