Don't Just Collect Art — Learn To Curate Your Collection

Collecting art is a satisfying pastime that yields long-lasting rewards. But simply buying art because it's available doesn't necessarily lead to a great collection. Instead, develop the skill of curating your art collection for better results. Here is how you can do this. 

1. Learn About Art and Artists

Don't feel that you must rush out and buy a bunch of pieces in order to start your collection. Instead, devote some time to learning about all sorts of art and the history of art. Your goals should be to be able to recognize certain periods and styles as well as the trademarks of various artists. You may also need to learn how the art world works so you can make wise purchases. 

2. Research Provenance

Verifying the history and authenticity of any item of artistic nature is going to be a vital skill the entire time you are a collector. Failure to understand how to identify pieces as authentic, not of unwanted origin, and valuable could cost you a lot of wasted money and frustration. Instead, learn how to spot indicators of authenticity, develop relationships with quality dealers, and educate yourself about fraud. 

3. Find Your Focus

A curator doesn't buy pieces for their museum just because such pieces are offered. Instead, they create goals for the collection and look for what's missing. Likewise, develop a focus for your own purchases. It may be a focus on a particular period, a technique, a medium, an artist, or a movement, for instance. This gives you a better way to target your purchases for greater effect and more satisfying conclusions. 

4. Make Your Collection Rounded

As you purchase within your selected interests and focuses, look for ways to make your collection not just larger but more comprehensive. For instance, if you are interested in Impressionist paintings, you might make a special effort to find paintings by underrepresented groups such as female Impressionist painters or paintings from all decades of the Impressionist era. Look for gaps to fill in. 

5. Expand Over Time

Although you begin your collection with one goal, this may change over time. If you began with an interest in Impressionist works, you might develop a fondness for the more abstract work of its cousin, Post-Impressionism. It's okay to expand your collection or shift your focus to other things. Like a museum, consider not only adding wings to your collection but also investing in temporary exhibits of more eclectic subjects. 

As you follow these five steps, you will turn yourself into a master curator of your own personal museum of your interests. You will find endless enjoyment and enrichment as you grow your collection and share it with others. Learn more by visiting with an art dealer in your area today.