In this article from Forbes online, NYUSPS instructor, professional art advisor, and regular Forbes contributor Clayton Press writes about the Berlin-based digital platform, Independent Collectors. Founded in 2008 by entrepreneur and art collector Christian Kaspar Schwarm, the site is ” now the world’s largest online ‘gated community’ for art collectors. With over 5,600 members, 1,000 of whom reside in the US, the platform has both emerging and established collectors, ranging in age from 25 to 81. There are people who are simply interested in learning about contemporary art or who may be thinking about starting a collection. Independent Collectors’ interest lies in the stories behind a collection, not key markets and its headliners and celebrities. With members in more than 100 countries, it welcomes collectors and collections outside the traditional centers of the art community, especially from South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.” The article goes on to discuss the shift among collectors to share their collections and connect to others beyond their close personal networks. This reflects the impact of social media and the internet but also, as Press describes, the changing role of the art collector, from “market speculator” to “cultural interpreter.”
You can explore (and join!) Independent Collectors here : https://independent-collectors.com/
Clayton Press is teaching the following courses this Spring at the Center for Applied Liberal Arts :
FROM IMPRESSIONISM TO MODERNISM: ART MOVEMENTS AND MARKETS
POSTWAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART MOVEMENTS, MARKETS, AND MONEY
and he is also a participating instructor in CURATED LECTURES this January, a unique opportunity to sample lectures and courses across NYUSPS.
Other courses of interest:
Mid-20th-Century Design: Masters and Innovators
New York Art Fairs This Spring
Parallels and Contrasts Between 20th Century Fine and Decorative Arts (online)
The Contemporary Art Market: What To Look For
German Modern and Contemporary Art and the Art Market (online)
Contemporary Sculpture: Connoisseurship and Production Process
Asian Fine and Decorative Arts
The Art Market Revolution: Online Art Business
The Art and Business of Curating
Starting a Successful Art Business
Introduction to American Folk Art
American Art and Design Between the Wars