Commissioning Art By Lisa Roche
COVA's Collectors Round Table - Abridged
posted October 3, 2004

On Thursday night, September 16, 2004, I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful and lively discussion at The Gallerie D'Art in Solana Beach about art collectors and their commissioning experiences, both good and bad, or as the moderator, Joan Seifried commented at the beginning of the evening, "the glories and the tragedies of commissioning art." She then facetiously added, "…the tragedies…that's the good part."

The event was very well attended by a diverse audience of collectors, artists, and people strolling down the street, as they enjoyed Cedros Avenue's Third Thursday Night of the Month, during which many of the art galleries are open late. In fact, it was standing room only, and the crowd did not dissipate as the discussion was both educational and controversial, and audience participation was encouraged. Adding spice and a different perspective, the panel of experts included not only the commissioners of art, but the "commissionees", and much of the two hour roundtable also dealt with their own glories and tragedies.

The distinguished panel, or, as they referred to themselves, the "performers", included:
Joan Seifried ( The Moderator) - An appraisal business owner of both fine art and antique furniture with offices in both San Diego and Atlanta, amongst a myriad of other artistic affiliations, education, and professions,… to great in number to count!
Joshua Krause - A local commercial artist, avid collector, and enthusiast of emerging artists.
Larry Poteet - A lawyer, and connoisseur and collector of fine arts with a very large collection of Southern California and British emerging artists.
Jeff Williams - The Curator for Sushi Performance and Visual Art and a professional visual artist, himself.
Jacqueline Anne Siegel - A professional arts producer and arts management consultant, and an accomplished bassoonist.

Some of the tips and guidelines provided for collectors who commission work included:

• Don't be afraid to ask an artist if they do commission work.
• Allow the artist some freedom in the creation of a piece. An artist will usually do their best work when they feel that he or she is trusted, and not too confined with limitations.
• Get a contract. While many collectors and artists have great experiences without a contract, there are many others who do not. Contracts protect the interests of both parties!
• When an art collector commissions a piece, he or she often gets more for their money than buying an existing work, including involvement in the creative process, and establishing long lasting relationships with an artist. Above all, it's fun!
• Get to know the artist, both in terms of their professional resume and past market values, and as a person.
• There are many reasons for an art collector to commission work, including replicating existing works at the size desired by the collector, not having to settle for a copy or print of a desired original piece that is no longer available, coordination with an existing collection or display, and for the purpose of providing an intimate experience for the collector as they involve themselves in the process of creation.
  
  This was the 2nd in a series of 3 Collectors Round Table Sessions put on by COVA and the sixth year of this event. The first, held the Thursday before on the 9th of September, is about Collecting Emerging Artists, and the third, taking place on Thursday, the 23rd of September covers Corporate Collections. You can read all the summaries on SDVAN. For a more detail about the evening, read the full article!

Click here for Art Rocks! interview with Larry Poteet on Commissioning Art

Back to SmART Collector

Collecting Emerging Artist - Betti-Sue Hertz at the Oceanside Museum of Art (Report on the Art Collectors Round Tables, 2004)

Corporate Collecting - Craddock Stopes at High Tech High (Report on the Art Collectors Round Tables, 2004)