Art Acquisition: Transforming Your Vision into a Reality
The business of art curation and consulting is creative and imaginative. It also wields significant influence when you consider art’s function as a catalyst for conversation, celebration, learning and self-reflection.
Whether it’s a vibrant mixed media display that effortlessly adds charm and character of your favorite hotel or an immersive installation that awakens a public gathering place, we take our role as art curators and storytellers seriously by helping our clients craft a vision that transforms their space into an unforgettable art experience.
Our award-winning installations at Denver’s Dairy Block, The Curtis Hotel and Le Méridien are proof that art has tremendous power.
And while it’s usually the final product – which can range from helping a brand communicate a new narrative to its employees to giving an emerging artist a platform for visibility – that receives the attention, we find just as much satisfaction in the behind-the-scenes activities that make it possible to share these special moments with our communities.
Enter, art acquisition.
At NINE dot ARTS, we have a dedicated art acquisition team that’s solely focused on this phase of a project’s lifecycle. This team spends each day talking to artists, galleries, brokers, suppliers, framers and art handlers to ensure that the works within a specific art collection are procured (or created, if needed), appropriately packaged, shipped and cared for prior to and during installation.
Although no two projects are alike, NINE dot ARTS has formed enduring relationships with art creators and collectors around the world. Because we procure hundreds of artworks each year, we’re able to use our purchasing power and industry reputation to skillfully negotiate substantial discounts on the cost of top-quality artwork.
While the entire art acquisition process is enjoyable, two of my favorite elements are regularly the most overlooked: framing and shipping.
Framing is arguably as important as the art collection itself. As a crucial design element, our NINE dot ARTS curators hand-select frames that elevate the purchased or commissioned artwork and maintain the integrity of the collection’s narrative.
Shipping, on the other hand, is an exercise in both patience and delicacy. That’s why we hire trained art carrying crews to securely pack, crate, insure and deliver the final artwork to its installation destination.
As any of our clients will tell you, it takes the right combination of curatorial curiosity and project management expertise to turn an ordinary space into an engaging experience.
Central to that process is art acquisition. It’s a complex, and often times unsung piece of the puzzle, but without it, it’s impossible to translate a project’s collaborative vision into something tangible.
Interested in learning more about the lifecycle of a project? Check out our previous blog posts on the importance of crafting a vision and understanding a space.