“A selection of accessible art spots and tips for establishing your personal taste.”
A personal art collection is something intimate. While as a whole, pieces can create a cohesive embodiment and add to their collector’s sense of home, the distinct works signal different particularities, quirks in taste, or memories that reveal something unexpected to whoever is invited in to view. Just like artworks in films are often used to shed light on a specific character’s personality, our real life collections can disclose much about who we are and what we value.
Yet, starting and growing your own collection without spending too much can feel like an impossible endeavor. To help alleviate the tediousness of what ultimately is an exciting task, we asked the passerby community for their favorite accessible art spots and tips on how to establish one’s personal taste.
Commissioner
Recommended by Natalie Guevara
Focused on connecting emerging artists and collectors in their cities, this “amazing membership program based out of Miami” is a great place to get started and buy art in community. Commissioner helps discover local contemporary artists and, each quarter, a different one is chosen to create bespoke pieces for the community. The collective also offers year-round in-person and online programming such as artist studio visits and collector conversations.
view here
Studio Archive Project
Recommended by Shino Takeda and Claire brodka
An artist-run online source that’s great for discovering pieces which have been hidden away in studio corners or artists’ archives. For those interested in diving into a particular creative’s work, the project’s monthly digital exhibits and their deep catalog of browsable works across mediums is definitely worth a bookmark. Part of the beauty of a collection is following an artist’s evolution — which you can do through their page, all the while giving your collection a refresh.
view here
Secret Riso Club
Recommended by renata del riego and claire dauge-roth
A gem for print fans and color fiends, Secret Riso Club is a staple at art book and zine fairs like Brooklyn Art Book Fair and Printed Matter, and has a strong focus on the intersection of social justice, art, design and community building. Prints are often one of the more affordable entry points to grow a collection and this funky shop and studio (you can print with them, too!) never fails to bring a new edge to any ensemble.
view here
Kindred
Recommended by Niki Kohandel
Multi-media art and community spaces are some of the best spots to up your collection, especially if you want to follow Niki’s advice and stock up on some “unique artists' publications and zines.” This record shop-bookstore-radio station in London is a fantastic place to check out, but be sure to browse their online selection if you’re not a local to get an idea what to scout for in your own neighborhood.
view here
Picture Room
Recommended by Clémence Polès, Claire Dauge-Roth, Renata Del Riego, Claire MacDonald
Picture Room is a treasure trove and the process of buying art with them “intimate and unpretentious”, according to Claire MacDonald. Sculpture, works on paper, artist posters, and photography are all offered under a scaling price filter to help match you to art in your range. The site is updated regularly with a variety of unique artists’ work and even offers a framing option! If you’re in Brooklyn, be sure to stop by their brick and mortar storefront for even more inspiration.
view here
Artsy
Recommended by Claire brodka and Discord member LittleMissMuffet
If you’re looking for fin-er art pieces within a certain range, Artsy’s bidding site is a great option and our gallery friends “cannot recommend it enough for first time buyers.” You get the excitement of an auction house from your home through their digital platform while the works you’re buying and collecting are mostly by known or up and coming artists and can be selected from a wide range of specific themes or movements.
view here
Platform
Recommended by charlie jarvis
Run by David Zwirner Gallery, Platform is another online gallery favorite. The e-commerce site offers monthly curations around particular themes (Lucid Dreaming was one of our favorites) that feature sought-after contemporary artists in collaboration with independent galleries around the world. Special texts, guest edits and features – including studio visits – are sure to get you in the mood, so check in regularly for maximum effect.
view here
Magnum Photos
recommended by Fiorella Valdesolo
For those looking to start out as a collector, investing in photography can be an accessible alternative to diving right in with abstract paintings. World-renowned Magnum cooperative is owned by its photographer members and was founded by a few of the industry’s greats, including Henri Cartier-Bresson and Maria Eisner. Its online shop offers everything from limited edition archival prints to story-telling contact sheets, rare books, and large-scale photographs by some of the most critically acclaimed contemporary artists.
view here
Art Loves You Too newsletter by Marie Salomé
recommended by Anna Polonsky and Erin allweiss
If you’re lucky enough to have a curator friend, asking them for advice on what to buy (and when) is a sure-fire way to make smart art investments. For those of us who aren’t in that fortunate group, there is Marie Salomé Peyronnel. The Brooklyn-based independent curator recently launched her own newsletter, and according to Anna Polonsky it’s “dedicated to great finds.” Her first pick: Buenos Aires-born artist Gabriela Vainsencher, who impressed Marie with her “very unique and personal take on motherhood.”
view here
Instagram is another great resource to discover new artists, find out about shows, pop-ups, and take a peek into individual creative processes. Start by following a few artists you like and go from there. Ly Ngo decorates her kids’ rooms with her “favorite illustrators — sometimes they'll sell sketches and stuff and usually I just PayPal them and they mail it to me.” Verena Michelitsch and Natalie Guevara also suggest following your favorite young artists on Instagram to keep an eye out for where they're exhibiting work for purchase, or just messaging them for buying info. Direct support goes a long way in showing your appreciation while also adding a more personal connection to the art you place around your home.
And lastly — though it may be age old advice, there’s something extra special about getting art made by your friends. It’s both a way to support their work and, as Neada Deters says, to “retain a tangible essence of someone you love” in your home. Even if it’s a friend of a friend putting out work you resonate with, finding art organically through connections will radiate that warmth in any space. And if you’re still looking, follow some bolder advice from Laura Saglio: “Get a tattoo or date a photographer!” Why not?
Other recommendations include:
Etsy & Basic Space (recommended by Chantilly Post)
Fort Makers (recommended by Shino Takeda)
Posterati & Tappan Collective (recommended by Discord member Winston Hof)
Creative Growth in Oakland (recommended by Fiorella Valdesolo)
Art Gaysel (recommended by Natalie Guevara)
Photobook Café (recommended by Niki Kohandel)
Tiwa Select, Thank You Artists & Nationale (recommended by Clémence Polès)
Can Can Press (recommended by Renata Del Riego)
Hannah Traore Gallery & Regular Normal Gallery (recommended by Charlie Jarvis)
1-54 Art Fair & OSTUDIO (recommended by Anna Polonksy).
Words by Claire Dauge-Roth & Claire Brodka