Over the past two years, Anne & I have started to immerse ourselves a bit more in the local art scene. The “Arts” in Columbus are typically just associated with Gallery Hop, the Wexner Center, that big red ART sign at CCAD, and not much else. While those are all great institutions, there’s a whole other world of art buried underneath the surface. There are galleries in neighborhoods where you wouldn’t expect to find them. There are artists all over Columbus who are proactively putting on shows, partnering with small businesses, and opening up new channels of connectivity between their art and their audiences. There’s great local art to be found all over Columbus, no matter what your tastes might be.
I originally wanted to start of this post by saying something along the lines of: “Collecting art is something typically for old, rich people; but you can be young and start a collection on a small budget!” While it’s true, it sounds so cliche. I’ve heard many times from many people over the years that you don’t have to invest a lot of money to start a collection, but it wasn’t until recently that we decided to start really seriously buying art for the sake of collecting and filling our house with original/local works.
So over the next few days I wanted to show off a few of the pieces we’ve obtained recently and simply give the artists some well-deserved props. We bought these pieces because we like how they look, not necessarily as an investment. Although we hope all of our favorite local artists are bestowed with fame and fortune sooner or later.
And now, the artists…
Great post Walker. I think something that scares people away from collecting is a fear that they aren’t making a wise investment, or they don’t know anything about art history, or similar fear of the unknown. The reality is that you can find wonderful art by local artists for a reasonable price just like you said. The only important ingrediant being that you see something that speaks to you and you buy it. Viola! You’re not an art collector!
Tina and I started much the same way a few years back and we have a slowly growing collection that we really enjoy looking at, day in and day out. Not only do we love the art but, because we know the artists, it’s like looking at a photograph of a close friend and gives you that good feeling everytime you look at it.