Fill your walls with the work of an artist you know.

Picture perfect

Enhance your home and enrich your life with original art.

by Liz DiDonna
4/26/00

Building a genuine art collection is easier than it sounds.

OK, you’ve ripped up the old carpeting and painted the walls an ideal eggshell white. And now, those pristine walls are begging for a piece of artwork that doesn’t just fill up space, but actually makes a statement.

While there’s more to creating a personal living space than acquiring a production-line painting that contains the same shade of blue as your family room sofa, building a genuine art collection is easier than it sounds, even on limited resources. You just have to know what you like, where to find it – and what it means to be making such a move.

"Buying art is a very personal thing," says MariaLouisa Belmonte, executive director of Detroit Artists Market, a local nonprofit organization that features the works of local artists.

"Even though people might not know exactly what they like or know how to put a name to it, they’ll be able to describe it to me. At least we can start with, say, a sculpture or a painting, something for the walls or the floor space."

Meeting the artists in person can also help you decide what to buy. "A lot of people that come here are interested in contemporary Michigan artists because there’s a closer connection with the artist," says Belmonte. "The artists are usually here in the gallery when guests come to the opening reception."

Meeting the person who’s made the painting you’re about to put on your wall gives it a different kind of value, which can’t be found when you’re buying premade art.

"One of the things that we try to get people to understand is for the price of going to a poster shop and having something matted and framed, they can come here and get an original piece of art," says Belmonte.

Frank and Shirley Piku have been private art collectors for many years. "Frank and I would go to museums and they would be selling art in the museum shops," recalls Shirley, who learned about collecting from talking to other collectors, going to museums and galleries, and reading about art. "Good art will speak to you," she says. "After a while you can tell if it’s junk or not. I’ve looked at art long enough that I feel confident with what I buy."

But it’s not just for the professionals. Piku says, "The average person should not feel intimidated by going into a professional gallery and talking to the dealer. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s always an educational experience. And it takes time to learn about art. You might want to buy something for one wall of your home, but it might take you a year before you find the right piece to put there."

She also recommends first-timers buy what they can afford. Many galleries will let you pay in installments if you don’t have enough money right now.

Most importantly, though, is to like the pieces you purchase. "You don’t have to understand the artist’s vision in order to appreciate the work – it might say something that personally speaks to you. There might be, say, flowers that remind you of your mother. ... I collect just for my own personal enjoyment. And after years of collecting, I still look at the work in my home with great joy."

Sherry Washington, of the Sherry Washington Gallery in Detroit, also has her own private collection. "The first thing I tell people is to collect good art, meaning make sure it’s a professional artist who does art for a living, not for a hobby," she says. "I think when you do art for a living you are committed to excellence."

Some of the best art collections are built on the works of new artists. "Try to get young artists who are developing because you can amass a great collection and get to know the artist," Washington says.

And again, don’t mind the cost. "I tell them to try to get a piece a year, to put art in your budget as though it was clothes or furniture," she adds.

But ultimately, buying original art isn’t just about finding decorations for your walls.

"I think when you collect art it defines who you are and it says that you’re ready to capture history in your environment," says Washington. "You’re going to spend money anyway, at least toss it in a direction that it may preserve your culture."

Liz DiDonna writes about art for the Metro Times.