California Visual Music

CALIFORNIA VISUAL MUSIC – THE ART OF COLLECTING ART LECTURE
Friday, June 7, 2013 – 7-9PM
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY, GUGGENHEIM GALLERY

 

This past Friday, members of the Escalette Collection of Art were invited to a private lecture on “The Art of Collecting Art”. An intimate group of collectors, artists, enthusiasts, and friends gathered in the Guggenhiem Gallery on campus to hear advice and insights from guest speakers, Brian Lang and Joy Berus.

Surrounded by the lively artwork of the gallery’s current show,California Visual Music, Mr. Lang made it clear that collecting of any kind—art or otherwise—should emerge out of passion. As curator for the BNY Mellon Corporate Art Collection, he’s learned to be an engaged viewer: he doesn’t just look at the surface of a painting, but considers the piece in tandem with the artist’s process and intention. Through researching a piece, asking questions, seeing the work in person, a visual story unfolds and connects the collector to the work. Lang inspired his audience to be active, not passive, collectors—this process is essential to making an informed (and more exciting) purchase.

Picking up on that thread, Joy Berus outlined a number of legal issues relevant to all collectors and artists. Her talk drew from her extensive experience in art law: she detailed many of the pitfalls and oversights that she knows to be especially troublesome in managing assets and property. Those in attendance at the Guggenhiem Gallery that night will be sure to think twice before collecting any ivory tusks or allegedly-antique chests; the artists of the audience, especially, were treated to a unique primer on what not to assume when signing on with a gallery.

Creating and protecting artwork can often be tricky—through this lecture, the Escalette Collection of Art empowered it’s members to become more inquisitive and informed, and ultimately more dynamic art enthusiasts.