April 30, 2023
Emerging Collectors Brunch Series Pt 2
Recap
Written by: Raquel Seymone
On Sunday, April 30th, Align ROI guests, made up of artists, art administrators, and established and emerging art collectors, gathered at Delita Martin’s Black Box Studio located just east of Houston, Texas.
Attendees gathered to mingle while enjoying a catered brunch by FAREVIEW. Chef Shatki Baum curated the menu of buttermilk french toast with fig and cherry syrup, shrimp and grits, sweet onion collard quiche, and a fresh herb salad, all inspired by Delita Martin’s garden where the event took place.
John Abodeely, CEO of Houston Arts Alliance, kicked off a dynamic conversation between Delita Martin and Kaima Marie Akure, exploring the artists’ thoughts on navigating their art careers, building relationships with galleries, and the complexities involved with pricing and valuing their art in a market that often undervalues Black women artists.
"Collectors don't understand the importance of the role they play in the artist ecosystem," Delita Martin stated while encouraging the audience of art enthusiasts to reimagine all the ways they can support artists whose work they admire and aspire to collect.
Key Takeaways
Collectors Roles in Supporting Artists Career
Collectors don't understand the importance of the role they play in the artist ecosystem.
Even if art enthusiasts aren't in a position to purchase original art, they can support artists whose work they admire by sharing the artist's work and exhibitions with their social circles.
If available, purchasing artist's books, prints, and other merchandise are alternative ways to support artists while filling your home and collection with their works.
On Relationships Between Artists, Galleries, and Collectors:
Artists, understand that it's your work that the gallery is representing, and you always have a say where your work is concerned.
Collectors should build relationships with both artists and galleries.
Galleries should be mindful of how they interact and foster relationships with potential collectors to ensure they're representing their artists well.
On the Price of Artists’ Work
Artists may consider different formulas when pricing their work, including the size of the work and the consideration of the amount of labor, time, and materials.
“Your pricing needs to reflect your career as an artist.” - Delita Martin.
Collectors should refrain from asking artists for discounts on their artwork, especially as a first-time buyer.
Some artists and galleries offer layaway and payment plans that collectors can utilize as a resource to help plan and budget for larger art purchases.
The conversation flowed well into the afternoon and concluded with attendees being galvanized to reimagine their roles and responsibilities as patrons and collectors of art.
To highlight a remarkable event, all attendees were gifted a print of Kaima Marie Akure's "Closed Mouths" which was generously sponsored by the fine art gallery, Art Is Bond.
Attendees also had the exclusive opportunity to acquire an editioned print of Delita Martin's "Flowering Soul" - a treat for any collector who hoped to add Martin’s celebrated work to their collections.
The second installment of the Emerging Collectors Brunch Series truly highlighted the best parts of Align ROI's mission to cultivate an arts ecosystem that empowers emerging art collectors in their collecting journey.
Interested in joining us for future Emerging Collectors events? Sign up for the Align ROI newsletter to receive priority ticket availability for upcoming events.
