Start early. This is the mantra uttered by art dealers and curators alike regarding art collecting. Still, many students' art collections end with the posters plastered on their dorm room's dingy, white walls. For college students swamped with academic, social and financial responsibilities, art collecting can seem like an inexpensive, tiring and intimidating endeavor. Luckily, starting a collection doesn't require big bucks or artistic know-how. For a couple hundred dollars and a little patience, anybody can be well on his to creating a mini-Louvre.
LEAVE TOWN
When you're traveling, whether domestically or abroad, take time to stop in local markets, galleries and the stalls of street artists to snag some original-and often inexpensive-artwork. From American Southwestern pottery to Greek religious icons to Tuscan Landscapes, traveling can produce some impressive artistic souvenirs.
Tip: At a flea market abroad, try using those negotiating skills you learned PPS 55 and shave a few dollars off the price.
GET SOME COFFEE
Local independently-owned coffee shops—we're not talking Starbucks or Caribou here—often have an interesting selection of funky works by local artists. Love the atmosphere in a certain caf?? Chances are you'll love the artwork there too.
Where to Go: Raleigh's The Third Place, Chapel Hill's Caff? Driade, Durham's Bean Trader's, Francesca's.
VISIT A LOCAL GALLERY
Galleries and frame shops are common places to buy new pictures for those interested in expanding their art collection. The Triangle certainly has its fair share of galleries. From the edgy modern art featured in Raleigh's Bickett Gallery and Carrboro's Branch Gallery to the more eclectic fare in Durham's Craven Allen Gallery, there are plenty of opportunities to get acquainted with the local art scene.
There are many benefits to buying from a gallery. For one, curators and owners are often acquainted with featured artists and can offer helpful information about an artist's background or style. In addition, galleries usually house a staff that is well-versed in the world of art and able to assist in finding works that suit your style.
Where to Go: Durham: Craven Allen Gallery, Durham Art Guild. Raleigh: Bickett Gallery, Fink's Fine Art Gallery, Little Art Gallery, Art Space. Carrboro: Branch Gallery. Also check out Raleigh's First Friday gallery crawl night, when the city's galleries are open for free receptions, openings, and the showcase of artists. At Raleigh's Art Space, for example, you can hobnob with resident artists and find out what they really mean. First Fridays are a great way to see a variety of art and galleries.
Note: Prices can be as low as $50 (as are some of the works in Bickett's Art Boutique section of the gallery), but most will likely range from the low hundreds and into the thousands. Be sure to talk to the owner in less formal galleries like Craven or Little and let them know your price range.
College campuses are often teeming with artistic talent. Cities like Portland, Maine; Asheville, North Carolina; New York and Los Angeles house schools with healthy art programs, and artists are a dime a dozen. Of course, any school with an art program (like Duke, for instance) will likely have a throng of talented students. Expect to spend a modest to a moderate amount of money. Many students are just happy to sell their work; more prudent, business-wise students know the value of their work and understandably charge more.
Tips: Have a friend whose sketching/pastelling/sculpturing/photographic skills knock your socks off? Ask him or her to paint you a landscape, or ask to purchase a work he’s already created.
tips & reminders
start an art fund. Remember, for the cost of a pair of Blue Cults, Sevens or a Lacoste Polo, you can purchase an original work of art. Choose wisely.
decide whether you are collecting for future returns or pleasure. Banking on the appreciation of art can be extremely risky. Like any commodity, art can appreciate or depreciate. Whether you're buying for pleasure or capitol, love the work you buy—chances are it'll be with you for a while.
read up on art movements and terminology in order to place your work in the context of art history. A.F. Janson's History of Art, for example, offers a great overview. Check the art sections of used book stores like The Book Exchange downtown, or buy a new book at a chain bookstore like Barnes and Noble.
remember less conventional forms of art like sketches, photographs, pottery and sculpture when you are purchasing.
determine whether you'd like to collect along a theme. Love sailboats? Religious icons? New England landscapes? Soviet Constructivism? Centering your purchases along a theme, geographic region or art movement can give your collection a sense of cohesion.
avoid galleries in malls. For the price of the prints you buy in the mall, you can buy an original work. Save your money.
frame your artwork in quality frames. Bargain frames from Walmart and Target are great for family photos and low resolution prints, but you've spent too much time and money to soil your art with a so-so frame. Choose a frame that matches the colors, tone and movement of your art. Many galleries have frame shops, but for less expensive options, try the frames at World Market or try your luck at an antique shop.
pay attention to definitions. Terms like “original” and “emerging artist” are extremely loaded. An “original” Picasso may not mean that he painted the exact picture you're buying. (For more info about emerging artists, see “Behind the Emerging Artist.”)
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