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Heather Urban offers her expertise to
beginning art collectors. Photo by Charlotte Libov
A hurricane is about to blow into
town. It’s called Art Basel Miami Beach, and instead of
bringing wind, rain and storm surges, this cyclone will
bring thousands of people — gallery owners, visitors and art
lovers to South Florida. Such a behemoth easily overpowers
anything in its path. Just ask the folks at Art Miami, the
venerable art festival that this year changed its dates to
coincide with the event in a spirit of “if you can’t beat
’em, join ’em.”
But there’s
no need to be overwhelmed by this week’s festivities.
Heather Urban, president and owner of Urban Art Access, a
company that guides art collectors through the Miami art
scene, recently published
Art Access
Guide 07: Art Basel Miami Beach Edition,
a nifty little book that demystifies the giant event.
The catch,
though, is that the guide’s printing is extremely limited
and was made available only through the Bass Museum. The
good news, though, is that Urban is a gracious art lover who
wants to make the event accessible to all, so she posted
information on her Web site and will e-mail updates to those
who subscribe.
In the
meanwhile, here are her top tips for first-timers who want
to learn their way around.
First, it’s
always a great time to join a museum, but it’s particularly
timely during Basel, because they’ll all be putting their
best foot forward, through their exhibitions and, best of
all, their parties. These parties are often limited to
members; so joining a museum will get you access not only to
the institution, but to a jolly good time. “People don’t
realize that they can get great access, just by being part
of the art community,” Urban said.
Check out
the satellite fairs. “There is a tendency to think that all
the art is in the [Miami Beach] convention center, but there
is so much going on at the fairs,” she said, noting that
this year there are about 20 of them. Each has its own
personality — New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) and Pulse
Miami tend to be mostly booths, but when you get to the
Scope Art Fair “the volume is pumped up,” she said. “You can
walk through the aisles and you’ll see installations,
performance artists, videos. There are all sorts of
peripheral events going on 24/7.” Fairs are a great way to
enjoy art because you can usually do it with a free cocktail
in hand, she said.
Art Basel
week also is a great time to see artists in their native
habitats. “Bear in mind that all of the galleries and
studios in Wynwood will have their doors open,” Urban said.
“Everyone will be looking for an audience. This is a
wonderful opportunity to get rid of all your inhibitions and
walk into every art fair that looks good, and into every
exhibition that looks interesting.”
If you’re
thinking of becoming an art collector, and you have the
wallet to do it, Basel may be the opportunity to pick up
that first piece. But before you do, Urban said, first find
out what you really like. “Get a little notebook, go to a
couple of fairs and make a note of everything you like, she
said. “Then, review your list, and you’ll begin to see that
there’s a recurring interest in something. When you have the
opportunity to look at hundreds and thousands of artists’
works, your eye will eventually differentiate what your
personal aesthetic is, and that will help you plan your
first purchase.”
Then, once
you know what you want, use Art Basel as an opportunity to
forge relationships with gallery owners. “Many art
collectors started with one small work, but if they then
have a relationship with that dealer, they get announcements
of special events. The dealer wants to sell work, of course,
but it can become a valuable relationship.”
Above all,
Urban said, have fun. “There’s no way you’re going to see
everything. Last year, I saw some things, but missed others.
So relax and enjoy it.”
For more
information about Heather Urban, visit
www.urbanartaccess.com.
To view her daily events calendar or register for emails and
tips, go to www.artaccessguide.com. |
