Community Minded
What we’ve realized in the nearly 15 years of printing American Art Collector is that this expansive and always-growing network of galleries, dealers, artists, curators and of course collectors who champion the cause of contemporary realism are a community. A community of people who are passionate about contemporary American painting and have dedicated their lives and careers to see it not just endure but thrive.
What I love about magazines is that when done properly they provide a way to highlight such communities on a monthly basis by showing what’s happening within this sector of the art market in a comprehensive way that is not just educational but also useful to the collectors. By reading American Art Collector each month, one can instantly find out what shows are planned, what the homes of collectors of this genre look like, who are the emerging artists, what are the trends, where the art fairs are, where the galleries are, what is happening in the major seasonal art destinations—all of this just by subscribing to the magazine and leafing through the pages.
This community feeling I refer to is evident in this issue’s article on The Bennett Prize. Steven Alan Bennett and his wife Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt are collectors of mainly contemporary realism created by women. When they saw a gap in the market for these works, they decided to start The Bennett Prize and award a large cash prize to the winner. They did this because they wanted women artists to be able to create their work without having to feel so much of the pressure that comes with selling.
Several months ago, we wrote a long article highlighting the 10 finalists for this Bennett Prize. Now, in this issue, we are happy to announce the winner with another extensive feature in the front of the magazine. What the Bennetts have done is so inspiring to us. And, in a larger context, what collectors do in general is inspiring to us as well.
Sincerely,
Joshua Rose Editor
P.S. Be ready for a big announcement about something that will change the way you buy art in the next few months!