The Artist’s Loft

By JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009

The Collectors Fund began in May 2007 with the Kempers and five other families who are passionate about art, particularly 20th- century American art.

Kemper is a former banker whose family donated both the landmark Gunnar Birkerts-designed building and the core art collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City.

Fund members loved art and were interested in collecting, but didn’t have the time or resources to do it properly, Kemper said.

“In many cases, (the members) wanted to have a little bit more diversity in their art collections than maybe they could if they did it by themselves,” he said. “Everyone had the ability to make some acquisitions of art, but together we could acquire more art. We could have it rotating in our homes. Because of that we would have exposure to a great number of pieces.”

Since then, fund membership has grown to 120 families, mainly through word of mouth, with most of the membership based in major museum cities, such as Kansas City, New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Dallas and Miami. The minimum one-time investment is $130,000 for 10 years, with members covering additional insurance and shipping fees.

Read the rest of the article:

Source:

http://www.journalstar.com/entertainment/article_ad3f3732-cb0d-11de-b868-001cc4c03286.html

Sales of Impressionist and modern art at Sotheby’s auction house rake in more than $181 million, surpassing estimates.

By Chris Kokenes, CNNMoney.com. November 6, 2009.

NEW YORK (CNN) — A recent sale of Impressionist and modern art at Sotheby’s auction house exceeded sales estimates and raised the hopes of industry insiders that a rebound is under way.

Sotheby’s reported total sales of $181,770,000 on Wednesday night and featured five works that sold for more than $10 million. The auction house initially thought it would take in $115.3 million.

“Wonderful,” said Emmanuel Di Donna, Sotheby’s vice chairman, Impressionist and modern art worldwide, director of evening sales.   Read the rest of the story.

Source:

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/06/news/international/art_auction.cnnw/?postversion=2009110615

By Jackie Demaline.  Cinncinnati.com/Arts . November 1, 2009

Attend classes, galleries, museums before you buy, experts stress

Yes, you can buy art in a bad economy. In fact, local dealers suggest a bad economy is the best time to buy art – prices are often deflated, and dealers might be open to such things as paying in installments.

If you’ve always wanted to start collecting, or just get some things to dress up your walls, local gallery owners  and visual art critics have some advice.

Among the things they were unanimous on – collecting, even if it’s one inexpensive piece a year, isn’t casual. Be prepared to work.

• Visit museums and galleries, to decide the area in which you wish to collect
• Take a course, maybe a Webinar,  sign up for e-newsletters from legitimate galleries
• Go to show openings and talk to people
• Join a collectors’ group at a museum
• Find a mentor – a curator, scholar, or a dealer

Read the rest of the article..

SOURCE:

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20091101/ENT07/911010315/

PODCAST FROM THE ART TACTIC- Art Collector Interview November 3. 2009

Interview with HOWARD RACHOFSKY, the Dallas-based prominent art collector.

To LISTEN Please click arrow below:

Howard Rachofsky (Nov 3rd, 2009) In this episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, we’re joined by Howard Rachofsky, the Dallas-based prominent art collector. As a major collector within the art world, Howard shares with us several insightful observations on the changes in the art world since the downturn. Also, as a recipient of a substantial guarantee in 2008, he provides his opinion on the future direction of the practice of auction house guarantees. Meanwhile, Howard addresses the reasons behind the supply dilemma auction houses are currently experiencing and whether or not the private market is facing a similar predicament. Howard also gives us his initial impressions on the upcoming Contemporary auctions in New York. Lastly, Howard tells us about the 11th annual TWO x TWO charity dinner and auction he and his wife recently hosted to benefit The Foundation for AIDS Research and the Dallas Museum of Art.

SOURCE:

http://www.arttactic.com/podcast.php?id=27

By Alison Greenberg and Amir Sharif . Yale Daily News. November 6. 2009

Last February, feet of snow obscured Yale’s walkways. But thousands of miles south, beneath ancient blankets of ice, Professor Thomas Near braved the Antarctic chill in pursuit of rarely-seen sea creatures — dead or alive.

A Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Assistant Professor, Near was on a Yale-sponsored expedition to the southern hemisphere’s icy tundras with nearly 20 other researchers to collect regional specimens and materials for the permanent collections of institutions around the world, including Yale’s own Peabody Museum of Natural History. Bringing back thousands of crustaceans, fish and other beasts of the frigid depths of Antarctic archipelagos, Near worked to expand Yale’s material possessions — providing the most recent additions to the University’s expansive stores of knowledge.    READ the rest of the article….

SOURCE:

http://www.yaledailynews.com/scene/art/2009/11/06/yales-latest-art-acquisitions/

By Cassandra Shofar . Oct.19.2009. The News-Herald

Whether resting eyes on a peaceful garden, fiery autumn leaves or the serene lavender and white petals of a Columbine flower, people will find solace in the many art pieces throughout TriPoint Medical Center.

Lake Health’s $155 million, 300,000-square-foot hospital in Concord Township opened its doors to the public for tours on Saturday. It will open to patients Wednesday. Saturday’s visitors got a peek at the results of the hospital foundation’s art selection.

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Source:

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/10/19/news/nh1572834.txt

Sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s show which artists will win from the rebound

BY KELLY CROW. Oct. 19.2009. The Wall Street Journal

With the contemporary-art market slowly recovering, London auction houses held a key round of sales over the weekend that showed prices are already bouncing back for a few mid-career European artists with bright palettes and loyal followings.

After months of scaled-back spending, collectors began competing for colorful paintings   Read the rest of the article

Source:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704500604574481383763561154.html

Published 28 Sept. 2009. http:www.designtaxi.com

A Manhattan art company recently launched an innovative option for gift giving. nAscent Art New York, which represents almost 50 emerging artists, introduced a new art gift registry in anticipation of the holiday shopping season. The registry also helps newly engaged couples seeking a unique expression of their love.

Called ArtWish, the nAscent Art gift registry provides a different way to shop and celebrate. Using ArtWish, lovers of art create registries of original artwork for their friends and families to purchase as gifts. nAscent’s unique service allows art to be accessible to anyone at a reasonable price. Many people can support the purchase of the selected original work, or a single person can pay for the entire artwork. Read more.

Source:

http://www.designtaxi.com/news.php?id=28834

By David Kelly. September 18, 2009. Los Angeles Times

Eager to safeguard its image as an upscale tourist resort, Palm Springs is prescribing art therapy as a partial cure for downtown shops caught up in the economic doldrums.

The city is expected to adopt a plan requiring vacant stores to hang paintings or photographs of old Hollywood movie stars, or come up with their own picturesque remedies to head off creeping blight in the city center.

“We have more vacant storefronts than we did in the past,” said City Manager David Ready. “Many are transitioning or looking for new tenants. This program wouldn’t cost the owner anything and would greatly improve the appearance of the buildings.”

Local artists will be invited to showcase their work and the city will finance the installation.

Nedra Young, chief executive of Social Mosaics, which teaches schoolchildren about mosaic art, contacted the city a few months ago about the idea after reading that Philadelphia was doing the same thing.

“Right now a vacant storefront is nothing but a piece of glass. It has no character, no interest, no nothing, so people walking down the street say, ‘Why do I want to be here? There is nothing to look at,’ ” she said.

Young has already put some of her work in a vacant storefront and will do so again Monday. “I think it will bring a new energy to the area,” she said. “Right now the energy is gone.”   Read more.

Source:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-palm-springs18-2009sep18,0,5234940.story

by Suzanna Stagemeyer . Aug 26 2009. www.portfolio.com

Anne and Reed Hickok say they love the 2008 painting by Yigal Ozeri, "Untitled (Priscilla with Vines, French)." Image: Dave Kaup

The unforgiving recession has pummeled stock and bond markets, but an unconventional investment has Victor Cordell smiling. On a recent San Francisco morning, Cordell read aloud a letter from The Collectors Fund, a Kansas City-based investment fund that buys mostly 20th century American art. He joined in October. For the year that ended in June, the value of the fund’s holdings rose 10 percent a unit, based on multiple appraisals, following a 20 percent increase the prior year. READ MORE

Source:

http://www.portfolio.com/executive-style/2009/08/26/art-investors-share-collection-and-beat-market/

By: Vikram kuamr . WWW.ArticleSnatch.com

If you are looking around for paintings for sale, it can be hard to know if you are paying too much. The price of canvas oil paintings in particular can be quite high and some people are shocked at the prices they are shown in galleries and studios.

Art websites can be some of the best sources for canvas oil paintings that are beautiful and high in quality. You have the advantage of looking at many different paintings for sale, and you can find canvas oil paintings that match your taste and your budget.

How can a website offer such good prices on paintings for sale? It may be hard to understand, especially since canvas oil paintings in particular can be quite expensive. This is because they do not have many of the same expenses that a traditional gallery setting can have. Think about the costs that a regular gallery can have.

Here are several websites that offer original paintings at very reasonable prices:

Artist Wanda Pepin:  http://www.wandawonders.com

Artist Wanda Pepin also on Etsy.com: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=48723

Artist Elaine Frenett:  http://www.elainefrenett.com/index.html

Artist Elaine Frenett also on Etsy.com: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7496330

Artist Christina Madden: http://christinamadden.com/

READ the rest of the article

Source:

http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/How-To-Know-You-Are-Getting-A-Good-Price-On-Canvas-Oil-Paintings/790138

By Edward Sozanski .Contributing Art Critic. www.philly.com . Aug.2.2009

An impressive, comprehensive collection – begun when European art was considered superior – is on display.

When Charles K. Williams II graduated from Princeton University in 1953, a collection of American art comparable to the one he has formed over nearly three decades would have been an anomaly.

Americans were slow to acknowledge their own art history, and consequently until the mid-20th century collectors were more likely to acquire works by famous Europeans.

Williams not only collects American art, he does so in a way that catalogs its development systematically, particularly as far as modernism is concerned.

Read the rest of the story

Source:

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20090802_Art___Buy_American__was_his_guideline.html

By Scott Reyburn.  18 Sept. 2009 . Bloomberg.com

A Rembrandt portrait of an unidentified man with his hand on his hip may be the most highly estimated Old Master painting ever offered at auction when it comes up for sale in London in December.

Shining light … Rembrandt's Portrait of a Man, Half-Length, With His Arms Akimbo . Photo: Reuters

The 3-foot, 6-inch-high canvas by the 17th-century Dutch master is expected to fetch between 18 million pounds ($29.7 million) and 25 million pounds at Christie’s International’s Dec. 8 sale of Old Masters and 19th-century art, the London-based auction house said today in an e-mailed statement. Read the rest of the story.