Collecting art has traditionally been viewed by most as a hobby reserved for the upper echelons of society. This long-held cultural stigma, however, has undergone a significant transformation, where we now see a greater democratization of the art world which lends greater access to buying and collecting no matter someone’s socioeconomic position.
Creating and owning art is more than just a “goods and services” transaction, although arts and culture accounted for $700 billion in the U.S. gross domestic product in 2012. Art has always served as something indefinable. Humans have continued to create, use and share art, not just as a symbol of power but most significantly as a tool or vehicle for purpose, fulfillment and sense of place. Art serves as a mode of empowerment, giving not only the artist a voice and their subject matter significance but also providing the viewer and collector an opportunity to cherish art as a collectible, an investment or simply an object that turns a house into a home, the mundane and routine into something unique and special. Collecting art has become a “sexy” feature in many restaurants, banks and professional offices, building off of its cornerstone placement in private residences. While it still carries with it a certain level of exclusivity, ownership of fine art has in some cases become an affordable hobby, accessible to many.
Today, original art can be bought locally or online for as little as $50, framed and ready to hang. We can look around Durango and find attainable art in our local galleries and alternative art spaces like Eno Café; in our exhibits at Durango Arts Center; at art collectives like Studio &; or through online platforms like Etsy, Artsy, Artstar, Uprise Art and DAC’s Online Member Artist Directory; as well as organized art fundraisers like the beloved KDUR Furniture as Art event.
In a speech titled, “How to Collect Art Like a Pro - Building a Collection,” reprinted at ArtBusiness.com, Alan Bamberger highlights how one artist “put together a collection of paintings bought exclusively at secondhand stores and garage sales, often for little more than a few dollars each. His collection ultimately toured the country and was published as a book. Many of us were not only entertained by it, it also helped to broaden our definition of what could reasonably be considered art. He taught us that interesting looking art can be found just about anywhere, not only at the major museums or in the best galleries.” This just sums up how in the 21st century, anyone can make and collect art on any budget.
You don’t have to look too far for an opportunity to find fine art this month in Durango. With the annual Colorfest Gallery Walk happening Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., the Durango Autumn Arts Festival filling most of 2nd Avenue with 90 artists of diverse mediums this weekend, and the Parade of Homes showcasing “The Art of the Home,” curated by the Durango Arts Center with Kogan Builders in their beautiful Trapper’s Crossing residence, there is an art collector’s dream around every corner in September. For more information on these events, please visit www.DurangoArts.org.
elsa@durangoarts.com. Elsa Jagniecki is the marketing coordinator for the Durango Arts Center.
