Style
The Art of Collecting
How to Build an Art Collection of Substance
BY
Hilary Masell Oswald

“Cracked Diana” by Roberto Santos, bronze
“Beyond October” by Karen Vance, oil on Belgian linen

Every art collector has a story about that very first purchase. Natalie Rekstad-Lynn, founder of Denver’s annual Salon du Musée art exhibition, spent 12 months paying off a watercolor by Molly Davis. “I just couldn’t live without it,” she says. The first piece Pany and Devon Dikeou bought to begin the Dikeou Collection—a public display of cutting-edge contemporary works in downtown Denver—was Simon Periton’s “Anarchy Doily,” a cut-paper construction. Pany tells visitors to the collection: “At first, I thought it might be a dubious choice. Now it’s one of my favorites.”

Romantic as these purchases may seem, smart collectors find a way to marry their passion for art with purpose, so that they’re building collections that aren’t merely random assortments. “Ideally, you find a focus that you love for your collection, and then you create depth within that focus,” Rekstad-Lynn says. “Certainly collectors’ tastes evolve over time, but there’s often room in a particular genre for that evolution.”

But finding your focus and building a collection can seem a little daunting, whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned collector looking to add dimension to your collection. In our November/December issue, we’ve gathered advice from leaders in Colorado’s art community to help you build a collection of substance. Turn there for guidance, and take these suggestions from artist and curator Devon Dikeou on how to get started:

Ready to learn more about the art world? We’ve got the resources for you, recommended by Devon Dikeou, artist and curator of the Dikeou Collection in downtown Denver.
 

  • Read local daily and weekly newspapers’ arts sections to learn about your art community.
  • Read international art publications, such as Art Forum, Art in America, Freize and the Friday New York Times.
  • Sign up for emailed newsletters that will let you know about openings. (Go to zingmagazine.com, which Dikeou edits, to subscribe to a top-notch, Denver-focused e-newsletter.)
  • Follow the auction houses, such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips de Pury. Each publishes catalogues available for purchase; you can also track recent sales on the companies’ websites.
  • Read other collectors’ perspectives: Peggy Guggenheim’s Out of This Century, Adam Lindemann’s Collecting Contemporary and Paige West’s The Art of Buying Art are all good resources.