Support the Arts
and Make Money:
Invest in Art
There are many things one can invest in. Art is one of them.
Think
about it. Art. Unlike many typical investments, like stocks and bonds, you can
actually hang this investment on the wall and enjoy it for a lifetime. It
doesn't have to be far far away, or intangible, or never seen. Art
can be a beautiful investment, literally. And you get to see it and enjoy it
every day.
In art,
there are a number of possible categories to invest in. Major genres include
paintings, drawings, photography, the list goes on.
There
are also many investment levels available in art. From the multi-million-dollar
collector/museum masterpieces to your local emerging or established street
artist. If you have a lot of money to invest in art, there are many
professionals who can help you do that. If you have a relatively small or
normal amount of investable funds you may have to do it yourself. Here are some
tips.
Get in
early
Artists start off as potential emerging artists. Then, if they succeed, and
emerge, they are known as established artists. Then, if they succeed wildly,
they are known as famous artists or masters. Imagine purchasing an early
photograph of Ansel Adams before he became established and famous. Or
purchasing an early Andy Warhol when he was still an unknown graphic artist.
And alive. Imagine if you bought the work of those artists early on, in or
before the emerging stage of their careers. In the current market, Ansel Adams
original photos can sell at up to $25,000-$70,000. Some of the signed Andy
Warhol's can go for well over a million dollars.
Some emerging
artists today are destined to be tomorrow's Ansel Adams or an Andy Warhol. Or maybe
they will become "just" an established artist whose work brings a
substantial amount of money. And a nice return on your investment. Artists.
Find one. Find them early. And invest.
Starting
What's a good way to start investing in emerging artists? The traditional way
is to find an artist whose work you like and buy a painting, or a
photo. Or two. Or more. Make sure the work is signed by the artist and
authentic. If possible, buy the art directly from the artist, or their
agent or reputable gallery.
Or, if
you buy several, or many, works of art, put the ones you don't hang away in a
safe environmentally protected storage facility. You can also rotate the art
from wall to storage and vice versa, as often as you like, adding even more
ongoing enjoyment.
Increase
the value
And then, once you own the art, perhaps you could promote the artist. You could
promote the artist via your social media, your friends and family and your
other contacts, etc. If you do this be sure to mention that you own art from
this artist. You could create buzz. Create demand for the artist's work. You
could tell everyone about the artist and their work! And, hopefully, watch the
value of the artist's art you own go up.
Investing
in art. Not only will you be supporting the arts, and enjoying it on the wall,
you may also be making a good investment! As with any investment, experts advise
only using excess money you don't immediately need, be it a few hundred
dollars, a few thousand or a few million. And, with riskier investments, money
you can afford to lose.
There
are many things to invest in. Art is one of them. An artistic enjoyable
investment. Invest and enjoy!
Andrew
Lawrence is a former Wall Street investment professional and money market
trader who today is an artist living in Los Angeles. He creates Cool Color
Photos, presented and sold directly via his online gallery: www.coolcolorphotos.com
And, if you want to be a patron of the arts, you can
start here