STARTING AN ART COLLECTION ON A BUDGET
For people who live in the Diaspora, having memorabilia from their original homes provide significant physical linkages to their homeland and helps with the psychological readjustment that comes with migration. If you had Art pieces before migrating, taking those pieces with you would have been an important part of your move. Art is an important communicating medium of a person’s existence as it tells the stories of who we are and from where we have come.
Caribbean Art generally and Jamaican Art specifically, has been slowly finding representation in the art collection as the it gains more significant traction here in North America. This is being ably fed by a growing list of Jamaican and Caribbean artists who now make their home here in the Diaspora. As a member of that grouping, my focus is on telling our Jamaican and Caribbean stories through this medium while at the same time doing my best at making my work affordable to the average person developing an art interest. In addition, I am committed to providing opportunities for other known and unknown artists for displaying and marketing their within the Diaspora community.
I am innately aware that there are art lovers out there who would like to secure original work but may have limited budgets or have no idea how to navigate the art world. My advice is simple. Fi As you start the process of building your art collection around work that you like, start with an artist who is easy to identify with and make ‘bite-sized’ purchases. Some artists will allow you to pay for a piece over time (I certainly do that) and in other instances, purchasing a print is just as great a start as a print on canvas will last as long as an original but comes at 15-20 percent of the price of the original work.
WHY INVEST IN ART
According to recent research by University of London professor Semir Zeki, viewing art can increase dopamine in the brain. The experience even gives a feeling similar to being in love. Art stimulates conversation, and based on the type of art collected, dictates a certain lifestyle. Of course, with value appreciation, smart buying and careful timing yields financial benefits if an artist becomes more valuable. An art collector is an investor in the genre [or multiple genres]— an intellectual investor, an economic investor, and an investor in the culture—who will do due diligence, and, before even buying the first piece, having a conversation with the artist is a great way to begin. It is important to visit art exhibitions as you start to build your art collection, with a collector’s mindset. However, you do not have to be a collector or have unlimited cash to start acquiring pieces that you love. Be deliberate but trust your instincts and buy what you like. Set a realistic budget and as you learn about the people who created the work, this moves you from someone who wants ‘a little thing’ on your wall to someone who is collecting art.
Check out some great starting out options at:
Featured Art: "Resplendent" Richard Hall's Acrylic on canvas
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