By Caitlin O’Brien

Viewing art is exciting and timeless. However, making that transition from visiting the art museum or occasional gallery to starting up your own collection can be confusing.

Many first-time art buyers have no idea where to start.

Is there a “right” or “wrong” way to go about shopping for your art collection? How do you know the true value of a piece? Should you focus on artwork that may be worth more in the future?

While the whole prospect of starting your own collection may seem overwhelming, keep in mind you are never too young to start, you don’t have to be an “expert,” and a private art collection can feasibly be done on a budget.

Two men who have made their livelihoods and careers out of a passion of collecting art are James and Timothy Keny. The brothers opened the Keny Galleries in 1980 and it has since become well-respected for its repertoire, including regional, contemporary, 19th and 20th Century American Folk and Outsider Art, Historic African-American Art and Historic American Paintings. While the Kenys now work with many museums and private and corporate clients on a national scale, they certainly had their own humble beginnings.

“We started collecting art when we were in college and graduate school around 1977 through 1980 before we started the gallery. We were both starting art history as well as economics,” says Tim.

While they’re into the gamut of art styles, it was the Midwestern and regional area that really caught their attention. “We started to collect American impressionist paintings and works on paper like watercolors. These artists were doing very exceptional work that wasn’t being recognized internationally. We sensed from our studies and from our research that this was an area that was very overlooked and very undervalued,” explains Tim.

The brothers began their collection with a few watercolors by John F. Carlson, a landscape painter from New England. “Very few people knew about his work and I think we only paid $2,000 each for them. Around that same time, we also bought some major impressionist paintings that would today trade for between $200,000 and $600,000 a piece,” Tim says.

Although the Kenys have the breadth of knowledge now, you do not have to have a degree or more than 20 years of experience to get into this hobby. Art experts recommend that when you first begin your collection, it’s good to try and pick a certain genre, artist or medium that you are really passionate about. And for those who have no idea what they do like, many times it’s easier to start with eliminating the art you don’t like.

Art collecting is something that should be accessible to anyone, even those working on a small budget. Tim notes, “you can buy small oil pastel landscapes by Eric Barth, who is very well regarded, for $500 and $950 dollars. You can even buy a piece by Allen Goth, who has been painting for 50 years, for $1,000.”

Affordability does mean art collecting be taken lightly. First-time buyers typically encounter many pitfalls or make similar mistakes. “One of the key mistakes collectors make is that they feel a little insecure when they’re first starting, so it’s tempting to get a huge piece by a mediocre artist than a smaller piece by a great artist. Do not buy something just because it is bigger. In art it’s quality, quality, quality,” Tim says.

“The quality criteria are more important than focusing on just one artist or medium or subject. It does help to specialize a little bit in that if you can learn a lot about one area, and you get to know that field, you get a sense of value and quality,” he adds.

Many also approach first-time art collecting as a unique approach to investments. However, Tim cautions against this.

“If you’re only interested in art as a financial vehicle, there are a lot of other things you can invest in. Collect stamps instead,” he says.

Tim adds that beginner collectors often form a compromised budget for art, and then end up spending their additional funds on decorative/complementary interior design furnishings such as draperies or wallpaper, etc. “Instead, that portion could be applied toward fine works of art that in 15 yeasr will continue to be enjoyable aesthetically and will also have value,” he says.

Another common mistake is buying a mass-reproduction of a big-named artist rather than an original piece by a more regional artist. “Financially it’s disastrous and aesthetically you’re not even buying an original work of art. Don’t get caught up in name recognition,” he says.

Tim urges collectors to remember that there is widely available information on all sorts of regional artists. Literature or catalogues on artists can always be found through museums, galleries, and even universities such as Capital, a nationally-known reference for historical art from the Midwest region.

Probably the most important thing to remember for those who are just starting their art collection is that no matter the medium, size, or genre of art, it has to be something you love. You don’t want to end up with a painting that after a month you can’t stand to look at on your wall. Make sure that whatever you purchase, it’s something you should be able to appreciate more and more the longer you have it.

“To buy contemporary art for short term turnover is not wise. You should buy contemporary art because you love it and secondly because you think it’s aesthetically pleasing. It should be part of a long term strategy like when you buy a house or a piece of real estate. Work closely with a very trusted dealer and don’t expect a quick turnover rate,” Tim says.

The Keny Galleries is located in German Village at 300 E. Beck St. For more information, call 614-464-1228, or visit www.kenygalleries.com.  

Caitlin O’Brien is a contributing writer for CityScene Magazine.