Lower East Side Galleries

Since the New Museum moved into the Lower East Side of NYC not long ago, several (well...maybe 45) galleries have shifted operations and moved their locations into the area. It is making the LES into a bit of a hotbed of artistic creation and innovation in the gallery scene. I had the pleasure of attending an opening at one of these new, hot galleries recently. 

The show, called This Has Been, is about the intersection between creation and technology, old and new, start and stop, analog and digital etc. It was a show that was well-curated with some really great artists who I was unfamiliar with. Michel de Broin is a well known Quebecois artist who creates giant fluid sculptures out of common objects - his piece in the show was a fireplace made to look like a television set. It was so clever while still being very beautiful and sleek. I very much enjoyed it and if I were making more money than I am right now I would have bought it up in a second. There was also an artist called Anne Deleporte - she created a giant wall mural out of newspaper which she then selectively painted over to leave only clever sayings or pictures. I really enjoyed the show a lot and would recommend that anyone out there with some free time hanging around the LES (as many of you are want to do) should stop by. 

The gallery is called On Stellar Rays and is located at 133 Orchard St. 

Commercial Consulting

When most people think of art consulting, they probably think of the private client art consultant - the man or woman who goes around with ritzy clients trying to find that next Picasso that completes their collection. But art collecting goes beyond the private home and in fact many of my clients are commercial entities like banks and law firms. 

Businesses use art as a way to brand themselves - that is to create a message about what it means to do business with XYZ, LLP or ABC, esq. In boom times, these entities have also used art as an alternative asset class. For a while, art was seen as a more stable alternative to stocks and bonds. According to the Mei-Moses index, art sales have kept up with or outpaced the S&P 500 for years and years (this may, as it turns out, be a bit biased since the Mei-Moses index only tracks works of art which have gone through public sales and if you're shopping around an expensive piece and you take it to public auction, you better hope it sells. Only the best, and most likely to sell, are ever taken to auction. The rest of these pieces often sit in attics for years). Banks and law firms or other companies with lots of capital tend to put their money in art both for investment and for decoration or branding. 

Depending on the size, scale and ownership of the business, budgets and aims differ widely. But these relationships can be more long-lasting than with private clients and often more lucrative because these firms often can afford and can hang more pieces of art than a private collector. Personally, I think corporate art consulting very challenging and invigorating. But it may also be more taxing as you have to learn to deal with committees and bureaucracy. 

My Purpose

So I am sure that a lot of you are wondering, "well...your blog is all well and good Shep but what do you DO?" And I am here to answer that exact question. 

The art consultant basically serves one major purpose: to help you understand the art world and understand the role of collecting within that world. For example, I recently had a meeting with a potential new client who has just begun collecting art - his interest runs deep but he doesn't have the proper skill set to navigate galleries and hasn't kept on top of the revolving door of NYC galleries since his interest set in. Because art is, yes, a hobby and passion, but a very expensive one, it is vitally important that one not rush into a collection. A smart collection is built on love and passion but also solid research, correct assumptions and long-term intentions. Not even the most rabid fan can put together a collection without a working knowledge of a city's art scene, relationships with galleries, other collectors, auction house officials, etc. So that's why I am here: I am your key to the interior of the art world. Depending on their sophistication of knowledge of the art market, I walk my clients through the basics of art history, explain why one painting is more significant than another, explain why two apparently similar paintings are priced so differently, and try to meet any collecting goals the collector might have (whether that be to support local artists, build a museum quality collection, community building, investment property, etc.). 

I have years of experience in this field and have come to learn not only the ways of the art world but also many people in many different walks of life. I am a great resource no matter what your quandary but my real interest lies in the discovery and fostering of emerging artists in and around the US. This is what my personal collection is made up of primarily. I collection in this sphere for two reasons: it is exhilarating to find a truly talented artist in the rough and it is a whole lot cheaper than collecting Miros. 

Introduction

My name is Kieran Shep and I am the principle of the art consulting firm Shep Art Consulting, Inc. We work out of Darien, CT and serve a variety of needs for a variety of clients. Most of my business is done in New York City, though I pride myself on my knowledge of worldwide art fairs including attendance at Art Dubai, Art Basel, Frieze in London, etc. and artists. I am especially interested in emerging artists though, I always listen very closely to my clients wishes. Whether you're looking to discover the latest Indian artist or would rather purchase a rare Miro work, I'm here to help you. Please refer to my blog often. I will be writing about my experiences in the consulting world and putting together a guide to what I do and how to buy art with a consultant.