Trying to break into the art world as a novice collector triggers an avalanche of questions. Are fairs worth your while? How do you build relationships with artists and galleries? Do you need an art advisor? There’s no handbook or tutorial, and the rules always seem to be changing, especially with a rapidly fluctuating market.
As a novice, finding the right balance between leaning on seasoned aesthetes and forging a new path can sometimes feel impossible, and rookie mishaps are bound to happen—but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Here’s how 15 young collectors managed to find their own way into the art world.
1. Find a Great Guide
“I’ve been lucky to have mentors who’ve each opened up the art world for me. Commonwealth and Council played a huge role in helping me find my footing as a collector. They introduced me to artists like Suki Seokyeong Kang and Gala Porras-Kim, whose practices really shifted how I think about collecting. Grace Liptak from Skarstedt is a dear friend as much as a mentor, and our ongoing conversations mean a lot to me. More recently, Margaret Kross of Romance has become a real source of inspiration. I stumbled onto her program at NADA Miami, and I’ve been learning so much from her ever since.” –Tae Um
“I started collecting at 27, so I’d show up to these galleries in joggers and streetwear, and I don’t think they were used to people who looked like me being interested in fine art… When you don’t grow up in the contemporary-art world, you need someone to open the door. That person for me was [Chicago gallerist] Mariane Ibrahim. She was the first one who gave me access and made it possible for me to start collecting from other galleries rather than straight from the studio.” –Everette Taylor
“I was very lucky to know Mariuccia Casadio growing up. She wrote about art for Vogue Italia and is very knowledgeable. In my late teens, I started visiting art fairs and biennials all over the world with her. Her insights really stepped up my game.” –Margherita Maccapani Missoni
“I am mostly self-taught, but I was originally guided by Kim Hastreiter of Paper magazine and Marsea Goldberg of New Image Art. They taught me to buy only what I love.” –Carl Gambino
2. Save, Save, Save
“I think everyone is a collector from a young age: some with toys, some with stamps. I was a well-behaved kid and I was always entrepreneurial, so I saved money to buy a piece of art that I liked, a lithograph by Helen Frankenthaler, while the first unique piece I acquired was from a young Chinese painter Bodu Yang. He’d just signed with Mine Project, the coolest new gallery in Hong Kong. I think my taste matured very fast.” –Michael Xufu-Huang
3. Studio Visits Are a Must
“Listening carefully to artists always gives you the clearest path through the noise.” –Gabriel Chipperfield
“I don’t come from money, I didn’t grow up around art, and I’m younger than most people sitting at the table. That often means dealers are underestimating me. But the truth is, us young collectors are often the ones showing up at MFA open studios and building real relationships with artists.” –Danielle Falls
“Gwen O’Neil kicked off my interest in visiting artists’ studios and getting to know the artists. I know most of the artists I collect and I love their work, but I also love their stories and their processes.” –Abby Smidt
“You learn through conversation. Every day is an informal education.” –Laura de Gunzburg
4. Find Inspiration At a Museum
“The Rubell Museum’s show ‘No Man’s Land’ was foundational.” –Jack Siebert
“In middle school, I discovered The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein and was inspired by the symbolism and image distortion. A friend visited the National Gallery in London and sent me a postcard of this painting. I still have the postcard, but I don’t know who it’s from—it’s signed ‘B.’” –Olivia Song
“Institutional experiences have also shaped me. My involvement with the Whitney has put me around curators, artists, and patrons whose looking is so much deeper than mine. I’ve learned the most by simply being quiet in those rooms.” –Cathy Ho Lee
5. Follow Your Instincts, Not the Market
“An advisor was helpful when starting out, but I would recommend doing the work yourself, get invested, see as many exhibitions as possible.” –Maky Hinson
“[Thea Westreich] encouraged me to dig into the meaning of artworks rather than base my decisions on appearance. She also passionately believed that great art is not always the popular choice.” –Paul Leong
“I actually started collecting art with the work of my childhood best friend, Lyman Richardson. Some of my favorite pieces are works that I grabbed from his studio or sketchbook and have had framed.” –Emma Hall
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