The Artinista Art Advisory - Where Savvy Collections Begin

The Artinista Art Advisory is excited to join FAIR Girls as they celebrate the Free Aware Inspired Restored girl!  We will be participating in the FAIR Girls 7th Annual Pearls of Purpose Gala this Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at the Carnegie Institute of Science in Washington, DC  with special guests, journalist Lisa Ling via telecast, trafficking survivor Nicole and Serbian JewelGirl Szenana, and the DC JewelGirls.

The Artinista has donated  an original mixed media work by local DC area artist, Linda Uphoff  to help FAIR Girls reach their goal of raising $100,000 to educate and empower hundreds of girl survivors of sex trafficking.  Each $1,000 raised provides one full month of crisis intervention, shelter, basic needs, court advocacy, and 24/7 critical emotional support and counseling.

All ticket levels include: Eco-friendly cocktails by VeeV Vita Frute, wine, generous hors d’oeuvres sponsored by D.C. local restaurants Taylor Gourmet, Matchbook Food Group, and Mandu, delectable desserts by Ted’s Bulletin, live music, awards presentation and keynote address, fantastic silent auction, and JewelGirls jewelry sales tables.

As a woman owned business, we believe it is important to support causes that help to improve the lives of underserved women and girls in our community.  Recently, we had the opportunity to work directly through a volunteer effort with FAIR Girls and have met some of the young girls that they work with on a daily basis.  Their dedication to providing a positive outcome for these girls was inspirational and we could see how the girls were benefiting from their services.

For more information about the Pearls of Purpose Gala, visit the website here.

About FAIR Girls

FAIR Girls (formerly FAIR Fund) prevents the exploitation of girls worldwide with empowerment and education. Through prevention education, compassionate care, and survivor inclusive advocacy, FAIR Girls creates opportunities for girls to become confident, happy, healthy young women.

Founded by Andrea Powell and Caroline Tower Morris in 2003, FAIR Fund was created to empower girls in the U.S. and around the world who have been forgotten, exploited or otherwise are at-risk of not reaching their potential. FAIR Fund is now FAIR Girls. FAIR stands for Free, Aware, Inspired, Restored – this is exactly what we hope the girls we work with will become. It is a name that reflects our ongoing commitment to providing girls around the world the chance to live happy, healthy, empowered lives.

FAIR Girls currently operates programs in Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Russia, Uganda, and the United States. The FAIR Girls home office in Washington, D.C. offers compassionate care to prevent the exploitation of all girls, with a special emphasis on girls who have experienced homelessness, life inside the foster care system, sexual abuse, and trafficking.

Learn more at   http://www.fairgirls.org

Spring art fairs have now expanded beyond Armory Week, thanks to the new Frieze Art Fair in New York in May.

Check out Frieze and more in May in New York….see the links below:

Frieze New York
New York, NY
May 10-13 , 2013
Details

Pulse New York
New York, NY
May 9-12, 2013
Details

NADA New York
New York, NY
May 10-12, 2013
Details

On Friday, April 12, 2013, I had the opportunity to participate in a  DC Design House Preview Tour and was delighted by the interpretations of a variety of themes by local interior designers.  My interest however, was the artwork (as usual!) and what the trends are in home decor and art placement.  I wasn’t disappointed!

Groupings of framed photographs and works on paper are hot (especially silver framing) as well as small and medium sized artwork.  Large dramatic canvasses also seem to be popular, setting the tone for many of the rooms.

Check out some of the highlights of the artwork that I saw below and think about how your existing artwork could be arranged to refresh your walls this Spring!

About the DC Design House

he Washington, DC Design House, a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity, began in 2008 as a unique design show house event for the DC Metro area in which top area designers showcased their talents into a “flowing design home” to raise funds for a local charity. What began as a single event goal to raise funds for Childrenʼs National Medical Center has developed into the regionʼs foremost annual residential design attraction and as a leading annual fundraiser event for Childrenʼs National Medical Center. Established by business partners and husband-and-wife co-founders Skip and Debbie Singleton, Principals of DC Living Real Estate, LLC, in partnership with Sandra Steele and Taylor Wells, as well as an all volunteer team of sponsors, organizers, regional media, design industry manufacturers and some of the nationʼs most awarded and widely recognized designers. The DC Design House quickly earned a following with more than 20,000 visitors and more than $400,000 raised for Childrenʼs National Medical Center over the last three years. The tradition continues with the 2013 DC Design House.

The DC Design House is open to the public through May 12, 2013.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the website at http://www.dcdesignhouse.com

Interesting grouping in a bathroom. Keep in mind however, not all art is best to be placed in bathrooms, basements or kitchens due to moisture levels in those rooms.

Sculpture that is well placed in a room can provide a nice artistic feel to a room. Consider adding sculpture to your art collection,.

These small canvasses work well in this small cozy space!

Love this African inspired mixed media work as a compliment to this small desk!

Don’t be afraid to show art on a patterned background!

The soft hues in this large painting creates a dramatic glowing effect against a dark “masculine” wall color.

Nice framing design here…black and white artwork with white matting and frame against another patterned wall.

This piece works well off of the color of the wall and pops with color!

And a good time was had by all!

Have you ever wondered about investing in Fine Art? Do you love art, but aren’t quite sure how to choose the right pieces for a collection? Art Lovers, this show is for you! This Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 10am, Sharon Burton, Chief Artinista will be on the show to talk about collecting art for profit and pleasure.

Call into the show and ask a question!
(347) 426-3590

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/workitsis/2013/03/26/work-it-sis-live

Lillie Bliss Image and Information: Courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art

March is a special month because it celebrates the accomplishments of women (something we should do every day and every month of the year).

During March, I notice a lot of Women’s History Month exhibitions featuring some wonderful women artists which I think is great. But rarely do we hear about women art patrons or collectors and celebrate their achievements. Take the woman who is featured in the image above, Lillie P. Bliss.

In 1929, Bliss long with Mary Quinn Sullivan and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller founded The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). She was a financial supporter of the 1913 Armory Show, of which her friend, artist Arthur B. Davies, was a main organizer, and she had purchased multiple works from the show. Another major buyer at the Armory Show was John Quinn, who within a decade amassed the most important collection of modern art in the country. When Quinn died, in 1924, Bliss, along with Sullivan, made purchases from the auction of his collection. She also acquired work from Davies’s collection after his death, in 1928.

At the time of her death in 1931, her collection was “valued at nearly $1.14 million which she had bequeathed the largest and most important part of it to MoMA.” In 1934 the Bliss bequest was officially acquired by the Museum which established the core of its collection.

Here are some links of some other Women Art Patrons to learn more about and celebrate this month!

Women and the 1913 Armory Show–Part I: Women Patrons

The Cone Sisters of Baltimore: The Cone Collection at the Baltimore Museum of Art

Vivian Davidson Hewitt (VIDEO)

The Art of Collecting: A Woman’s Perspective (VIDEO)

Indian Women Bring Art to the Masses – Collecting Women Making Waves

You don’t have to be a Lillie Bliss to develop a nice art collection that can be enjoyed for years to come. Contact me today and I can help you start…and who knows…it may too become an important part of a future collection!

When you listen to collectors and others in the art world talk to beginning collectors, they always advise that you should see as many artworks in a variety of venues as possible.  You may ask why this is important….because after all, art that looks good is all you need to be aware of, right?

Well, appreciating art for art’s sake is one thing….developing a “trained” eye for art that will one day grace your home is totally different.  When we say “trained” this doesn’t mean taking a bunch of art history classes or going through some kind of visual art appreciation course (though many local museums offer these for low cost or free and they are highly recommended if you need more structure).

As an avid collector or beginning collector, seeing as many artworks as possible has it’s advantages:

• You develop an appreciation for professionally executed original artwork.  You pick up on the “amateur” work, which is the stuff you used to like and that you thought was awesome.  Put that work next to something that was created with the skill and depth of a professional artist, it looks like child’s play.

• You eventually learn the difference been an original piece of art versus a copy.  By noting the variations of the paint, brushstrokes, mixed media used, etc., you get accustomed to examining artwork that is presented to you to note whether or not these details exist or not.

• You gain an appreciation for the look that original art brings to your home or office space with it’s unique execution and one-of-kind rendering versus a flat, uninspiring look of a mass produced copy.  Original art looks different in a variety of light and you can catch different details when you look at it one day versus another. Mass produced work looks the same everyday, lacks any gusto, and there’s rarely new discoveries when you view it on a day to day basis.

• You learn about emerging themes and new directions that are being presented in the art market.  Mass produced work is directed at an audience that is not interested in new and emerging work by artists–just safe work that looks pretty or matches the furniture.  The real collector is looking for work that speaks to them and reflects who they are. They have an understanding that they are not people who play it “safe” but want their space to representing their depth and interest in areas such as culture, symbolism, social awareness, and ideas.  They believe in patronage of  art and artists….something beyond a department store’s massed framed images in a bin.

In short, looking at art makes you a better and informed collector….you learn the styles, techniques and unique beauty that artists provide through their work.  This knowledge and appreciation transforms to the development of an art collection that truly speaks to you.

Need help with developing your “eye” for art?  We can help!  Email us at info@theartinista.com for more information!

On February 28, 2013, the Artinista Art Advsiory, ArtSee and the Catalyst Projects will host a panel Discussion on the relationships between artists and collectors.  Art and Acquisitions: Conversations with Artists and Their Collectors, will take place at Hamiltonian Gallery at 7:30 pm and feature some of D.C.’s top collectors and the artists that they admire.  The panel will feature Philippa Hughes, collector and founder of the Pinkline Project, artist Cory Oberndorfer, collector and artist J.T. Kirkland, artist John M. Adams and collector Henry Thaggert.  For more information and to register, visit http://dcartacquisitionpanel.eventbrite.com/

The conversation of the panel will explore how they make their decisions in selecting art, why a particular artist may continue to be a part of their collection and their thoughts on the current D.C. art market.  As artist it is important to understand how a collector responds to their work. The hosts of the panel hope to bring some insight in to how to approach and foster a collector, artist relationship. Each of the panelists has had extensive experience in these interactions and was chosen for their knowledge of both the D.C. and national art market. The range of panelists will also bring varying opinions on different levels of collecting and producing work.  The collectors on the panel, Philippa Hughes, J.T. Kirkland and Henry Thaggert, each have an established art collection of local or national work.  While Hughes and Kirkland have focused most of their collecting on the D.C. area, Thaggert will bring a broader perspective of collecting and where D.C. falls short in a desirable market. Cory Oberndorfer and John M. Adams were both brought on to the panel by their collectors, Hughes and Kirkland respectively, to explore their relationships and how they were able to find a home for their work through these two collectors and others.

The Artinista Art Advisory, ArtSee and Catalyst Projects worked together on bringing this distinguished panel together because they felt it was necessary to directly explore the D.C. market and hopefully give the community a sense of what is necessary to cultivate more of these interactions and transactions.  “The DC area is rich with resources for art and artists. With this panel discussion we hope to foster a continuing dialogue between artists and the community around them,” says Gail Vollrath, Co-Founder Catalyst Projects.  As three groups with very different missions, their goal is the same, cultivating the D.C. art scene and supporting local artists and collectors.  This panel will hopefully reinforce those ideas and bring to light the necessary tools to nurture the relationship between artist and collector.

Skate’s Art Market Research  is currently running a series of Art Industry Hangouts with art market experts, covering a range of topics and using the technology provided by Google with its recent Hangouts feature.

So far they have posted two episodes on their YouTube page.  The second episode which was posted on February 12th  is focused on art fairs.  As the Spring art fairs in New York loom, the discussion provides a nice overview of their exploding popularity as an option for collectors.  Moderator Gabriel Butu of Skate’s interviews three art fair representatives to explore cover the role of the art fair, recent trends and other topics of interest.

Moderator:  Gabriel Butu, Skate’s Art Market Research

Participants:

Allison Rodman, The Armory Show

Cristina Salmastrelli, Affordable Art Fair

Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt, VIENNAFAIR