WHERE TO FIND IT

		Express Yourself Forget Sofas—Original Art Can Be the Most Important Piece in a Room. By Stefanie Berry Stark Stefanie Stark is a Washington writer who loves the search for art almost as much as finding the perfect place to hang it, a task that recently gave her an excuse to take down her husband's baseball-hat collection. Your furniture may be classic and comfortable. You may love your Oriental rugs and breezy window treatments. But the walls—they may need work. If so, look for art that's original, that suits both your home and your budget. The choices seem endless. A watercolor or oil painting? A mixed-media collage? How about a photograph or a work on paper? Those are great choices for the budget-conscious—just make sure they're framed under UV-protective glass and hung in an area that gets minimal sunlight. That's something you learn as you look into original art. Here are ten other tips to help demystify the process of buying art. 1. Be visually aware. Look at art whenever you can—at museums, galleries, friends' homes. As basic as it sounds, if you look enough, you'll get a sense of what you find compelling or off-putting. Buying art takes time: As much as you may want a piece of art right away, try not to be impatient—you might regret impulse buys, and shedding contemporary art for what you paid can be difficult. Try to go on guided tours of museums and to gallery talks and openings. Even if you don't aspire to be a collector, listening to experts explain the details of a particular work helps train your eye and define your taste. Hemphill Fine Arts in Georgetown hosts a series of talks that include "Investing In Art" on March 16 and "Art and Interior Design" on May 11. Each session costs $10 or $12 a person; call 202-342-5610 for reservations. 2. Make an evening out of it. A fun way to cover a lot of ground is to attend collaborative open houses of neighborhood galleries. Most of Dupont Circle's galleries stay open late on "First Fridays," the first Friday evening of each month. Patrons are welcome to pour a glass of wine and pop in and out of any of the participating galleries. Art galleries on Seventh Street, Northwest, do the same on "Third Thursdays" of the month, while Old Town Alexandria offers its art night on the second Thursday of each month. Once you've been to a gallery, you'll have a sense of whether its style matches yours. If you like what you see, sign up to receive announcements of future openings. 3. Don't let galleries intimidate you. Gallery events can be crowded, making it difficult to really absorb the art. Go back when you can view with less distraction and talk to the owners. Galleries can be off-putting—the notion that there's a lot you don't know seems all too clear—but in Washington, gallery owners are very approachable. They are looking to attract customers, so if you are interested in art, they're eager to help you learn. "If you don't understand something, don't know what a work on paper means or what the difference between an original and a print is, just ask," says Leigh Conner of Conner Contemporary Art. 4. Speak up. If you're attracted to an artist whose work is displayed but don't see a piece you want—or if you love something that's been sold—ask whether more work by that artist is available. Usually the answer is yes. You might also peruse gallery books that show work of other artists the gallery represents but may not be on display, or ask to see inventory that's out of sight. "There's always something in the back room," says Kathleen Ewing, whose Dupont Circle gallery specializes in photography. 5. Save time—visit galleries online. Most galleries now have Web sites that offer information about a gallery's mission, a schedule of its events, and pictures of art by represented artists. It's usually enough to determine whether you'd like to visit in person. One starting point is www.artline.com/members/us/dc.html, which links to the Web sites of about a dozen DC galleries. The most comprehensive site I have seen for linking to local galleries as well as individual artists is www.geocities.com/paris/musee/9650/galleries.html. 6. Go straight to the source. Some artists host "studio opens," when they welcome the public into their workspaces and display pieces for sale. You can ask about the inspiration behind a particular work or about the technique or materials used. The prices might seem right—if the artist is not represented by a gallery, there's no middleman to take a cut. But make sure you love a work before you buy; without a gallery backing the artist, there's less chance that the work will increase in value, and you won't have the possibility, as you might with a gallery, of later reselling it on commission or trading the work back for a higher-priced piece. The Cultural Development Corporation's Web site, http://www.culturaldc.org/, often lists studio open houses on its bulletin board. 7. Before you buy, borrow. Sometimes you feel sure about a work of art soon after you see it. Other times you have doubts. Will it fit into your living room? Will the colors end up driving you crazy? If you're not completely sold, ask to take the piece home on approval. Chances are you'll be able to borrow it for a weekend or even a week. Arefundable deposit is usually all that's required. "I definitely say take it home and try it out, especially if it's a big expensive piece," says Sally Troyer of Troyer Gallery. "It can be different at home—light can be a factor, and it can be either more or less interesting in that space than in the gallery." If you're still unsure after a few days, chances are you should take the work back. If you can't bear to return it, you know you've scored. 8. It never hurts to ask, "Is this your best price?" According to Troyer, if the art is priced in the $1,500 range, it's less likely you'll get a discount than if it's $8,000 or above. If you're a repeat customer or if you're buying several pieces, the incentive to work with you is greater. One local collector, who prefers not to be named, says that even if a dealer doesn't lower the price, he or she may throw in a frame on an unframed print or photo. And if you see something you love but it's out of your financial comfort zone, some dealers will work out a payment plan. 9. Enjoy the process of looking. George Hemphill of Hemphill Fine Arts encourages people to purchase art that makes them think rather than simply something that is appealing. The more the art challenges you, the more it is likely to interest you longer than something bought to complement the colors in your home. Whatever you choose, recognize that over time your taste will evolve. 10. Don't think of art as an investment. The resale value of contemporary art is hard to predict. "Buy what you love," most art owners will tell you. If a piece turns out to be a good investment, all the better. But don't think of art like stock, to be flipped in five or ten years for your chil-dren's education. "A work of art offers an element of spirit that furniture cannot provide," says Troyer. "It's so much more important in a room than a sofa or a desk." From the March 2002 issue. back to introduction
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