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Author:
Corinne Cain

Identify what kind of art you like. The following techniques can help you determine what that is:

1. Visit 3 to 6 museums displaying different types of art. Finish your visit by purchasing postcards in the gift shop that reflect artworks that are attractive to you. Toss these cards in a bowl, and don't look at them again until you have visited all the museums on your list. Once you have done so, review all the cards and look for similarities among them in terms of mediums chosen, time period of the artists, or the style of the artworks.

2. Visit your local library and find an art history book that spans at least four centuries of art from many different countries. Use sticky notes to mark your favorite pieces. Again, look for common elements to determine what you like the best.

* Match what you like with what you can afford and what is currently available to buy. Consult with knowledgeable art dealers or art appraisers about costs and availability of what you have selected. Determine your annual budget and the number of pieces you want to be able to purchase with that amount.

* Gather information about the quality of what you like, what you can afford, and what is currently available. Consult with museum personnel and knowledgeable art consultants about what they consider to be quality work.

* Join ancillary museum groups that offer lectures and exposure to valuable information.

* Subscribe to magazines that focus on the type of art you want to collect.

* Don't rush to acquire art. For many, it's a lifelong pursuit.

Starting a Contemporary Art Collection

Contact museum curators or art professionals in your area who do not sell.

1. Build a relationship with these professionals by attending lectures where they assemble. 2. Discuss your interest in collecting contemporary art and ask for their recommendations. 3. Listen for names being repeatedly identified as quality artists.

* Attend exhibitions at contemporary art galleries in your area. Ask for information about any work that interests you. This will help you understand what the artist intended for his or her work "to say."

* Go to national and international art fairs to gain additional exposure to contemporary art. Ask for information on work that interests you at these events as well.

* Contact prominent local contemporary artists working in a medium you like and ask them to identify their "hot picks."

* Supplement your efforts by reading art publications such as Art in America, Art Forum, and Art News, as well as magazines directed toward just one kind of medium, for example, Fiberarts or types of art for example, Latinarte, Native Peoples and American Indian Art magazines.

* Join ancillary museum groups focused on contemporary art. These events allow you to experience what experienced collectors of contemporary art have chosen. Travel to other cities with these groups to gain an even greater understanding of contemporary art.

* Do MOST of the steps described above before purchasing for your collection.

About the author:

Corinne Cain is the principal of Corinne Cain, Ltd, a nationally recognized firm affording expert appraisal and consulting services on Fine Art and Native American Art. Her background includes an MFA and MBA from Southern Methodist University. Ms. Cain is also the proprietor of http://Savvycollector.com, a nationally known secondary art market dealer.

| Article Keywords: Art

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Art... What You Need To Know Before Investing In Art We all know when there is a panic on the financial market, everything that can be seen as an investment will rise in price. Besides traditional commodities such as gold and antiques, you can also consider some products of the modern art as in investment for your money. Let's consider paintings. A properly chosen painting can essentially increase the wealth of an owner in just a few years. And it is not hard to choose such a piece of art, as it might seem at first. There a lot of questions and problems you will need to solve before making a decision. Why is there a great difference in price for different paintings? How to buy artwork that will eventually rise in price? How not to overpay for it? What factors influence the cost of a painting? These and other questions are what you will have to answer if you want to change the interior of your house with a stylish modern painting and make a wise investment for your hard earned money. The difference in price of artworks can be astonishing. For two almost identical paintings (the canvas, oil) in different places you will be asked to pay from $500 to $5000. How do you make the right choice in a situation like that? Often buyers simply don't recognize the factors that price consist of. In the best-case scenario when you know an artist personally and you are buying a painting directly from him or her - the price practically equals the expenses of the painting. But this case is not very typical. If you buy a painting from an art gallery, what are the factors that influence the price? First of all - rent of the gallery space. The majority of galleries are located in places where low rent is usually not the case. Salary of employees of a gallery who carry out the exhibitions. Cost of advertising such as publications in press....