Now anyone can be an art collector
Buy works of art easily with online galleries
If you’re a millennial, chances are that at some point you’ve proudly displayed a poster of a famous artwork, perhaps in a metal frame from Ikea or Bed Bath & Beyond. There’s no shame in that game. But if that same possession has followed you from your 20s crash pad into your adult domicile, it might be time for an upgrade. Building a personal art collection once may have been considered the exclusive purview of the wealthy and wellconnected. But thanks to the proliferation of online art sales platforms, it’s more within your reach than you might think.
Going online to peruse and purchase, on the other hand, is “a breath of fresh air,” Rebecca Wilson, chief curator of the on- line gallery Saatchi Art, based in Los Angeles, where works range from $50 to $50,000, says, because not only does it take self-consciousness out of the picture, it also makes it easier to find art you can afford.
But don’t pull out your laptop yet. Izabela Depczyk, managing director of the online art auction platform Paddle8, recommends that potential buyers begin their search in the real world, to understand what they like and want to live with, presumably for a long while.
That might mean visiting a major museum such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington or the Art Institute of Chicago. Or it might mean browsing art fairs, exhibitions featuring fine arts students at a nearby school, or even checking out what’s on the walls at your local coffee shop’s gallery show.
The goal is to discover pieces that inspire an emotional response and determine what you like about them — even if it takes time.