Art Month 2016 Collecting Art

By Niall Roeder.

March in Sydney is Art Month. That means there’s a citywide fiesta shining light on leading and emerging artists and their stories, and as Biggie Smalls once so eloquently put it, and if you don’t know, now you know…

Besides a swarm of exhibitions, talks, workshops, tours and good ol’ fashioned merrymaking, Art Month is for the art collectors and wannabe art collectors out there. It’s their time to run amok too.

For those experienced in the practice of collecting art, the following mightn’t be of much help. However if you’re keen to start procuring art and aren’t sure where to begin, fear not! Read on and embrace art collection enlightenment. There are a plethora of expert-run events aimed at demystifying the art buying process with insights about what to buy and how. Here are a few we recommend checking out:

Starting a Collection 101

Listen in on panel of experienced industry heads dish out guidance on how to get started in this whole collecting thing. Speakers include: CEO of Art Fairs Australian and Art Month 2016 Artistic Director, Barry Keldoulis; Director of Alaska Projects, Sebastian Goldspink; Chief executive at Screen NSW and art collector Courtney Gibson.

March 5, 11:30am – 12:30am, Free (bookings essential)

Collectors’ Space

The Art Month kids have brought together four private, museum quality collections “never seen together in public before… or ever again”. This year, the Collectors’ Space is showcasing works from the collections of Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Courtney Gibson, Danny Goldberg, and Jasper Knight. Take a good look around, one day something like this could be yours.

March 3 – 20 (Thursday – Sunday), 11am – 5pm, Free 

Where to start | Chippendale & Redfern with Ivan Muñiz Reed

Ivan Muñiz Reed loves it. Art that is. He’s an industry writer and an independent curator, so is the perfect fella to take you exploring through the artist run spaces, galleries and studios around Chippendale and Redfern.

March 12, 1pm – 3pm, Free (bookings essential)

A – Z of Contemporary Art Masterclass

It’s not always easy to talk about what art we like and why – but it can be! It’s time to dispel the pretentious, snobby stigma sometimes attached to art. The Masterclass, run by a group of Australia’s leading art curators, critics and experts, will introduce guests to modern art, help develop your eye and impart some verbiage to assist you in getting your art point across. No prior knowledge needed! Get in!

March 19, 1pm – 5pm, $120 (bookings essential)

Where to start | Paddington & Woollahra with Natalia Bradshaw

Natalia Bradshaw is an art consultant who has been in the Australian art loop since the early 80s. She’s running tours of the galleries in Paddington and Woollahra and will be serving up some sweet advice on the art buying process. Listen up, she knows her stuff.

March 19, 12;30pm – 2:45pm, Free (bookings essential)

If you are in need of a place to rest your head, QT Sydney have an Art at Night package for you… because life should be easy.

Art Month runs from March 1 -20