Collecting 101
By Sue Kiyabu
Special to The Advertiser
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So you're finally ready to trade in that Monet poster for something that didn't come from a museum shop. But you don't know arte povera from well, non-arte povera. And isn't collecting art for, uh, rich people?
Experts say no. Yes, collecting art can be an intimidating, high-end affair — we glimpse, through pictures, a world of highfalutin fundraisers or collectors showing their multimillion-dollar wares. But there's a whole other world of budget-friendly art within reach.
Most collectors begin simply, says David Behlke, director of the Koa Gallery and instructor at Kapi'olani Community College.
"Either their friend is an artist, and they become interested that way, or someone gives them a piece," Behlke says. "It often starts off as something small."
And not necessarily pricey. Last month, several galleries held shows featuring miniature art that was priced for the average person. Pieces by prominent local artists such as Mary Mi-tsuda and Alan Leitner hovered in the $300 range. Other works in the shows were as low as $30.
Some galleries, such as Cedar Street Gallery, keep smaller, more affordable pieces stocked year-round. Kailua's Balcony Gallery has plans to devote a wall to original works under $200, says owner and artist Jodi Endicott.
Three hundred dollars is the price of a mass-produced designer handbag, a used surfboard or an iPod. Still, to some, spending $300 on a piece of original art is unthinkable. Why? Michael Schnack, owner of Cedar Street, says it's a matter of perception — and confidence.
"Take the purse. Women use purses every day ... they are intimately aware (of its value to them) because of exposure and daily living," Schnack says. "They already have that 'look, look, look' mentality. Everyone exercises that mentality all the time, it's just not expanded into the realm of art."
Collecting original work doesn't just support the local art community, which people often cited as a reason they begin collecting. It can offer unquantifiable rewards.
"It's fulfilling," says Rich Richardson, creative director of The ARTS at Marks Garage and a collector of smaller works. "It can resonate with you and your experience in life. You may see a kindred appreciation and outlook from another human being. It's enriching."
Richardson is interested in work that shows Honolulu as a port of internationalist exchange between east and west — a historical place that he says needs its own aesthetic consideration.
"I have a day job at a nonprofit and I still have a small collection," Richardson says. "I take pride in the fact that they are small pieces and I have a personal connection to the artists that I have collected."
Here are some ground rules for collecting contemporary, original works.
In Hawai'i, most experts recommend taking advantage of free events such as First Fridays and monthly gallery openings. At graduate and undergraduate student shows you can survey the art scene without investing a dime. Both the Honolulu Academy of Arts and The Contemporary Museum hold annual sales. Major group shows, such as the Artists of Hawai'i Show, can give the potential collector an idea of who is doing what.
"When you develop your taste for art, it's like developing a taste for food," Behlke says. "You might not ever like abstract art ... and that's OK. The thing is to develop a quality eye. And that just happens as you see artwork, as you read about artwork."
When Jerry and Colette Coleman moved to Hawai'i three years ago, they hit the galleries right away. They have been collecting for nearly 30 years and take a pragmatic approach to research. They seek out gallery guides and ask a lot of questions.
"Always find three pieces that you would kill for," advises Jerry Coleman, "then find the piece with the best pedigree. You are basically looking and researching. It's just problem-solving."
"Every collector has a different story," says Susan Sayre Batton, deputy director at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. "But even top collectors say they buy what moves them.
"Some people ... are able to see something that perhaps only a few people at that time can see, but for the average person, that's just not going to happen."
But that's not to say it doesn't happen. Sayre Batton, who used to run a nonprofit gallery in Los Angeles, worked with Tom Peters, who "is not some rich guy." Yet he has developed such an impressive collection that he is noted in the December issue of Vanity Fair, the magazine's first art issue. Curators from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles regularly took tours of his apartment.
"After you do it for a while, you can see when a $600 painting will be worth $10,000 in three years, but like anything else, you have to put your mind to it," Sayre Batton says.
"Some people are intimidated by the gallery setting," Colette Coleman says. "They don't know how to ask to be educated ... Say you don't like abstract art, for example. You could ask an owner, why is this good art?"
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AFFORDABLE ART: IT'S OUT THERE
A handful of annual sales and shows offer small-scale art by Hawai'i artists — and a solid starting point for potential collectors. Here are a few:
"Out of the Sketchbook," on view through Jan. 10, The Balcony Gallery. Price: under $200. 263-4434.
University of Hawai'i Graduate Show, Jan. 14- Feb. 16. Gallery refers collectors to students.
"Matchbook Plus Show," November, Cedar Street Gallery. Price range: $60-$1,700. 589-1580.
"Small Kine Art, Big Kine Heart," November, Koa Gallery, Kapi'olani Community College. Price range: $30-$950. 734-9374.
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LEARN MORE
Jodi Endicott will give the lecture "Want to Start an Art Collection? Talk to an Artist," at 1 p.m. Jan. 14 at her Balcony Gallery, 442-A Uluniu St., Kailua; 263-4434.
