Look in the mirror, do you see an art collector? Have you ever said to yourself while looking at a work of art, “I wish I could bring this one home� If so, why not give it a go. These days art collecting is much more accessible and affordable to anyone with a bit of spare cash, ready to indulge. Collecting art is not so different from buying shoes, bags, watches, cars, stocks and so on. Art prices range from bargain to luxury levels, and of course, it’s all about names, as between H&M and Gucci. The major difference however, is that art works tend to increase more steadily in value then other collectables.
Let’s look for a minute at Herb and Dorothy Vogel, a modestly earning couple who gathered a significant collection of American art since the 1960s. They specialized in early minimal and conceptual works from Sol Lewitt, Laurence Weiner and the like. Herb’s earnings as a post office clerk and Dorothy’s librarian wages were combined, to firstly pay their bills, then invest in a lifelong collector’s practice. Their criteria were simply to buy what they liked, what they could afford, and what could fit in their one-bedroom New York apartment. Accordingly they acquired around 4,800 works, primarily drawings, over a period of 40 years. In 1992 their entire collection was transferred to and managed by The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Then in 2008, 2,500 works from the Washington-managed collection were donated and distributed to 50 institutions in 50 different American states (Vogel 50×50 collection). Their collection not only contributed to establishing the art history of Minimal and Conceptual Art, also their regular acquisitions helped many artists earn a living from early in their careers.
SéminArts offers aspiring collectors from the Montreal area an opportunity to maybe one day do as well as the Vogels. This is an educational program organized by Le Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal (MACM) in association with Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation. SéminArts aims to foster a growing interest in the art scene of Montréal and Quebec province, to promote the appreciation and collection of contemporary art, and consequently re-energize the art market.
Originally, SéminArts started out as a joint initiative between the Foundation and Saidie Bronfman Center (SBC) gallery in 2009, then moved to MACM in autumn 2010. It was integrated with the museum’s approach to audience outreach, emphasizing on human interaction as a learning experience. Five different visiting programs are designed within SéminArts, both for French and English groups: 1. Museum collection, 2. Artist studio, 3. Commercial Gallery, 4. Corporate Collection, and 5. Private collection. The visiting programs are directed by Nancy Rosenfeld, president of the Bronfman Foundation and Véronique Lefebvre from the MACM’s education department.
Jean-Paul Riopelle “Sans titre (Composition #2)” 1951 Image courtesy of Heffel Fine Art Auction House
M-KOS joined last autumn’s English group, found it an invaluable experience for accessing rare opportunities and for looking behind the scenes at Montréal’s art system. During the first session, we were ushered through the huge metal doors in the basement of the MACM, to look inside the permanent collections vault, guided by the museum’s curator Josée Bélisle. She ceremoniously pulled out a large painting of Jean-Paul Riopelle (1923–2002), one of Québec’s most prominent modern/contemporary art figures, to the delight of many, gasping in awe. The second meeting was held at the studio of Montréal-based artist Anthony Burnham. This gave us a wonderful understanding of the artist’s working process, how he engages with his ideas to develop them in a visual form, and this refreshed our perception of his finished work.
Anthony Burnham “Blue Sail” (2010) Oil on canvas. Image courtesy of the artist and Galerie René Blouin
For SéminArts’ third session we visited René Blouin in his gallery at Belgo building. Galerie René Blouin was founded in 1986 and is this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. He represents a list of renowned mid-career artists mainly from Québec and Canada, including Anthony Burnham. Blouin exchanged a few words with us on his vision of art dealing, stating he is not afraid of taking risks by showing unknown emerging artists as long as their work triggers his intuition. Arguably the most reputed gallery in Montréal, Blouin holds an impressive portfolio of collectors who also trust his intuition. After visiting his fifth floor gallery at the Belgo, we transited to the third floor to meet Jean-Francois Belisle, director of AGAC (Contemporary Art Gallery Association). Belisle demonstrated a great deal of enthusiasm and determination for disseminating contemporary art from Quebec and Canada. Three weeks ago, AGAC set up the “Extreme Gesture†exhibition curated by Denise Markonish (MASS Moca), showcasing 13 local artists in New York’s Armory fair and made some significant sales achievements in the process. AGAC’s next move will be to host “Papier 11†by mid April 2011, the 4th annual contemporary art fair for works on paper.
We visited La Banque Nationale’s grand collection on the forth week of SéminArts, guided by Jo-Ann Kane, the curator in charge of Canada’s largest corporate collection. The 9,000 item-strong collection includes works dating back from as far as 1895, 90% of these by Québec artists. Kane eloquently explained how she makes curatorial decisions for new acquisitions, based on principles and challenges the bank established when starting their collection in the 1970s. Because works from this collection are on display in corporate settings, they need to infuse well within an office environment. Reciprocally, educational programs are made available for employees of La Banque Nationale, to stimulate their appreciation of contemporary art, beyond the concept of monetary investment.
For the final session we visited the home of private collectors Alexandre Taillefer and Debbie Zakaib. Their collection, accumulating in every room of the house, obviously demonstrates a passion for art. Taillefer and Zakaib admit they cannot ignore the raising value of some of the works they own, but maintain investment is never the original intention for buying art. Still, the gratification of seeing the work you love become a bigger financial asset can turn the art-collecting game into a win-win scenario. These days private collectors constitute a big part of the art market, especially ones like Taillefer and Zakaib, who regularly travel to fairs and have a deep knowledge of what is called the art eco-system (a concept we will cover in a future article). Their role as catalysts of the art world is comparable to curators, in the level of influence they have in setting trends and establishing artists’ careers.
So here we are at the end of SéminArts. For M-KOS, the experience was enriching especially since Montréal was such a new environment, having just recently moved here. Rather than a practical series of lessons on how to become an art collector, SéminArts gave us a quick insight into the commercial side of the city’s art scene. Some surprises were also included, such as in the first session when we learned that “Quebec has the weakest art market in the whole North Americaâ€. We weren’t prepared to hear this, as we were arriving from London, the world’s biggest art market, second only to New York. (Or third – according to ArtPrice’s survey China is now crowned the No.1 spot?!) Honestly this revelation on Montréal was so shocking, the glass didn’t even feel half empty but totally broke. But SéminArts helped put this and more facts in perspective as the sessions evolved, and jointly with our own research and observations, we’re becoming aware that the glass is actually, even if slowly, starting to fill up.
At the risk of ending on a cheesy note, we will mention observing a common trait for all the people at SéminArts, as much as in other art events in Montréal, London, New York or elsewhere. People are always genuine about their passion for art. Passion is perhaps one of the most fundamental determinants for getting involved in the art world. M-KOS remembers one curator from the Tate museums telling us over lunch that he could see himself living without food but could never live without art. An extreme example, perhaps? Hopefully one to illustrate the core purpose of SéminArts, which designed such an intimate series of meetings with art professionals. People attending this program felt good and curious about contemporary art, not intimidated or excluded by way of heavy art jargon. Mind you, this program is not free but the knowledge and experience shared here makes it good value for money. In short, SéminArts gave us confidence and awareness of what Montréal and Québec can offer to the art world, definitely a good thing.
SéminArts’ Spring session has already started on 9 March, it’s apparently sold out to capacity with more people on their waiting list. Stay in touch for upcoming sessions by visiting their website.
by Miwa Kojima, Oli Sorenson