Like polo and falconry, art collecting is reflexively considered the exclusive domain of the rich and tweedy.
And if your concept of art begins and ends with Rembrandt and Rothko, that's indeed the case.
But it's worth remembering that even giants started small.
One increasingly popular way to ramp up your collection is via student art, specifically through art-school exhibitions, galleries and open studios; shows such as the
Affordable Art Fair; competitions like the
New York Times "
Capture the Times" photography contest; and reviews such as
Review Santa Fe.
Student art is not just a cheaper point of entry, but fun and rewarding both spiritually and (potentially) financially -- though, like penny stocks, this isn't where to put your rainy-day funds. Remember, past Renoirs are no guarantee of future Picassos.
Developing Talent
Two years ago, I attended a Masters in Fine Arts thesis show at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. I was there to see the work of Gina LeVay, a former colleague of mine whose major was photography and video.
LeVay's thesis,
The Sandhog Project, showcased New York City's water-tunnel workers.
Her compelling photos of these urban miners stood out even among the mature, consistent and more-established work on display. I decided to become her first patron -- paying $250 for a 42-inch by 30-inch framed, signed print titled "Group 147" -- and felt great about the purchase for its own sake and for supporting both the arts and my friend.
I didn't realize it at the time, but I was part of a long-running art-world trend: cradle robbing. Well, no one calls it that, but that's the gist.
The causes run the gamut: a general run-up in prices for established artists that has forced some collectors to seek new horizons. Society's ever-increasing obsession with youth and The Next Big Thing. The fact that this work is in some cases being marketed more heavily than ever before.
"When I had my MFA show, the school sent promotional materials to its contacts in the art world and urged students to invite people on their wish list, to begin marketing ourselves," says LeVay.
"The MFA [photography and related media department] chairman at SVA, Charles Traub, now hosts an actual preview luncheon for galleries and press only before the opening of the thesis show. It's proven quite successful, and many students find representation and have future showings," LeVay continues.
I was lucky to beat the pros to the punch. As it happens, LeVay has already richly rewarded my faith in her talent.
Popular Mechanics ran a photo essay featuring her Sandhogs work, which led to a weeklong solo show this January at Vanderbilt Hall in Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal.
Similar-sized prints as mine from the project now sell for upward of $2,400, making "Group 147" my finest investment, at least on a percentage basis. I have no plans to test its liquidity.
Evan Rothman
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