Basic Approaches to Collecting
There are two basic approached to collecting art: One, with your eyes—relying on your own instincts and judgment, and Two, with your ears—relying on the advice of a few carefully selected dealers. Either approach is a legitimate one. Most successful collectors employ a combination of the two. The Best collector is an informed collector. Throughout a collector’s career, reading and constantly looking at art is essential in building an exceptional collection. Most people feel more comfortable going slowly at first. - Spend time learning about art. - Familiarize yourself with art terms, media and techniques. Collecting Tips In collecting African-American Art, I generally look for works that document particular movements of trends in art that document different historical periods. This selection leads to a varied collection that includes both race and race less art. To exhibit one or two pieces does not begin to tell a story. But a story movement begins to evolve when scores or hundreds of works are exhibited. Art, after all, is visual literature and often times speaks more powerful and with greater articulation than the best drama. While the circumstances (of being under recognized) is unfortunate, perhaps for the black artist, the logical result of it all is that true genius is being overlooked and is available for purchase if you and only you follow your own drummer, trust your confidence and are willing to put your money on the line. It is no longer enough to buy a work by an artist who happens to “draw well”—that is pedestrian and old hat. Technical ability is a given criterion. The designation “fine art” deserves to be reserved for works by artists with imagination, vision and innovation. - Good collections take time - Buy art that you like and within your means - When starting with limited funds, buy contemporary that are now releasing new works. You may collect tomorrow’s masters. - Remarques, Artist Proofs, Printers Proofs and Limited Edition Pieces will appreciate more than open edition pieces. - The market and the going pieces for the art are dictated by supply and demand. The fewer the number of high demand pieces the more the appreciation. - For more expensive pieces, most galleries offer installment payment plans. This allows you to lock in the price while it is still affordable. - Gain knowledge about the demand and prices for the art you collect by visiting galleries and checking local newspapers for the art auctions particularly African-American art auctions. ENJOY YOUR ART!…Enjoying your collection is what art is all about Overdue Recognition Art Gallery
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![]() Like all collectables, proper handling of Fine Art is a must. Remember improper framing or storage can damage your work of arts.
Storing Unframed Art If you are not planning on framing your art immediately: Always · Store in cool dry place Store flat, if possible, between acid-free Remove any tissue that does not have a waxy feel Never · Store between cardboard. Remove any brown craft paper prints have been wrapped in. Both are highly acidic and can yellow the prints rapidly. Store in brown shipping tubes. If you have no other alternative to this, wrap entire outside of piece with wax paper. Proper Matting and Framing Improper matting or framing will cause damages to your art over time. Acids contained in certain framing materials can cause paper to turn brown, become brittle and eventually deteriorate. Always · Use only acid-free matting mounting and backing boards. Make certain your framer understands preservation framing. Never · Allow a fine work of art to be permanently secured or mounted, Art needs to breathe. Let glass come directly in contact with the surface of a piece of art, use matting or spacers to keep the glass up This allows air space and avoids possible condensation. Cut the paper or alter the original condition of artwork. Doing so may impact future value. Even properly framed is susceptible to environmental conditions, Protect your investment by taking the following precautions: Always · Allow airspace between the frame and the wall. Make sure your puts bumpers on the bottom of the frame. Keep art away from all sources of heat including radiators. We don’t recommend hanging fine art over fireplaces or on walls which contains flues. Never · Hang art in direct sunlight. The sun’s ultraviolet rays and fluorescent lighting are harmful to inks, paints and paper. Even indirect sunlight can damage your art after years of exposure. For every valuable works, UV filtered glass is recommended. Hang valuable art where it is subject to extremes in temperature and humidity. Spray glass cleaner directly onto framed art. Ammonia based cleaners are not recommended. Always Let Overdue Recognition properly frame your fine art and give you pleasure for a Lifetime (301) 262-3553 www.overduerecognition.com What’s in a name
Have you ever wondered how some companies arrived at their name? Starbucks, for instance. Company legend says that the 3 founders of Starbucks chose the name in honor of Starbuck, the coffee-loving first mate in Herman Melville's Moby Dick, and because they thought the name evoked the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders. What about Google? Based on the mathematical term "googol", coined in 1938 to equal 10100, a number much larger than any practical counting operation would require. In September, 1997, so the story goes, some Stanford grad students were helping Larry Page choose a name for his search engine. "Googleplex," someone suggest, "Googol," Page replied. Someone typed g-o-o-g-l-e into their browser, to see if the name was taken, and made the most famous spelling mistake since p-o-t-a-t-o-e. The name was registered within hours. Most companies use their family names; DuPont, JCPenney (James Cash Penney, and yes, Cash was his middle name), Henry Ford with Ford Motor Company. Some names are descriptive; Electronic Data Systems -I suppose if you needed it, you would know what it is. Some names are less descriptive - General Motors, General Mills, General Tires, General Hospital, General Dynamics, etc...and last but certainly not least, General Electric (which really doesn't fit anymore, since they own everything.) We thought long and hard about naming our art gallery. We had lots of ideas like; 'Thompson’s Art Gallery'? We are proud of our name, but does it really need to be attached? ‘Art Creations’? overused with no meaning, ‘The Art Shop’? which sounds like were working out of our garage. We chose Overdue Recognition Art Gallery because for too long, African American artists have struggled for recognition against their peers. Our gallery is a forum for artists to demonstrate their brilliance, integrity and skills to achieve the recognition that is long overdue. We want our name Overdue Recognition Art Gallery to be the first name you think of for African American Art. |
Author
Thompson an art curator and
native Washingtonian started her entrepreneurial endeavors as a private dealer,
where she was actively involved in supporting and promoting those artist whose
work she believes in. To her credit and theirs, these artist works have
steadily appreciated in value. After surveying the gallery scene for African
American art in the Washington DC Metropolitan area, She opened Overdue
Recognition Art Gallery in Bowie, Maryland as a venue for the artist to
showcase their works. Since its opening in
2004, more than 75 African American artist have shown their work at Overdue Recognition Art
Gallery, including
notable artist Anthony Armstrong, John Holyfield, George Hunt, James Denmark
and Calvin Coleman. She has formed close associations with many of today’s most
important African American artist.
Thompson has appeared on various panels informing the public about art collecting. Her commitment to art as an essential part of life, it gives her the means to exhibit, collect, preserve and encourage art. Archives
January 2023
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