Pointe of Art
Art Sales are UP 9/03
by Robert Maniscalco
Retail sales of art and "wall décor"
(whatever that is) topped $35.3 billion in 2002, a
14% increase from 2000. This, according to a recent
survey funded by the Art Publisher's Association.
The study determined consumers tend to fall into one
of two categories. Art connoisseurs, making up over
one-quarter of the total art market, consisting of
"affluent and highly educated baby boomers who
view themselves as collectors . . . for whom decorating
takes a back seat." The other group consists
mainly of home decorators, who make up 28% of the
market. These are "largely budget-minded young
marrieds who have a need to buy art to fill empty
walls in new homes," says Pam Danziger, president
of Unity Marketing and author of the book, "Why
People Buy Things They Don't Need" (I guess they
represent the other 47 percent).
The reasons for mentioning these statistics found
in a recent article from ART BUSINESS NEWS, are two
fold. First, to point out something I've been saying
all along: fine art is a multi-billion dollar business
and second, to have an excuse to examine whether serious
art can also be collectable art. The more I dig into
the workings of the Detroit art market the more appalled
I am at the pervasive attitudes of the starving artist
set. I am far more interested in artists who have
something important to say through their art and the
collectors who are responding to them. There are a
few talented artists who don't see bearing their soul
in their work and selling it as mutually exclusive.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting artists should
cave into market pressures and only produce art they
think will sell. "The personal connection with
the art takes precedence over whether it fits a particular
space on the wall," says Danziger. I have found
that serious art is very desirable and salable. Sure,
Detroit is a tough market but this expression of powerlessness,
so deeply entrenched in the Detroit art culture, is
serving no one. The solution lies in the hands of
the artists.
Art consultant, Katherine Carter, provides a great
bottom line: "Accepting the responsibility of
promoting your work and determining your destiny,
by controlling the quality and frequency of your promotions
and capitalizing on the resources that are available
through marketing research, and public relations and
communications experts requires a major commitment.
These actions provide the professional artist with
the power to become a formidable player and a serious
stake holder in the outcome." Carter's website,
http://www.ktcassoc.com, provides some good marketing
advice to artists who may be indulging in self-pity
instead of putting together a plan of action.
As many of you know, I am hosting a new program on
WTVS-56, Detroit's Public TV, called ART BEAT, premiering
September 6th, on every Saturday at 3:30 pm. I will
be interviewing artists while they demonstrate their
process - sort of like the "This Old House"
of the art world. ART BEAT will explore the creative
mind and cut through the perceived pretensions, peel
back the layers to expose each artist as a person
and follow them through the process of creating their
art. Art Beat is intended for everyone from the seasoned
collector to the uninitiated to get the art beat.
Our goal is to take an honest, fresh look at the artists'
world. Certainly, one of the recurring questions of
the show will be "how do you make a living as
an artist?"
To me, selling art, whether as a publicly funded installation
or as a free standing work of art, is, in a way, a
completion of the creative process. It is as much
a part of the delivery of the idea as the materials
themselves. That is not to say that it is not "art"
unless someone buys it. I have seen enough masterpieces
returned to the artist at the end of an exhibit to
know that selling is not the primary criteria for
a great work of art or a successful show. On the other
hand, I've never met an artist who wasn't happy when
he/she sold a work.
And let's not forget the collector, who has the privilege
of drawing inspiration from the work on a daily basis.
Most agree, it's a very addictive hobby. They have
a responsibility for sharing their pride in ownership,
participating in the effective presentation and provenance
of the work. They are invested in the career of the
artist. It's a sacred trust.
So where are all these art buyers? After all, $35.3
billion is a lot of money. I believe, perhaps naively,
that every serious work of art has a buyer, if we
have the skill and tenacity to find him/her. It's
a thrill to be there when a work of art does find
a buyer. It's like falling in love. Or a light going
on. I can't help but ponder, particularly after the
recent black out, what the alternative would be.
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