by Jeanne Beck
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Reprinted with permission from Owl Light News | Copyright 2018

   There is a growing interest in collecting original art works by regional artists.  Rochester Art Collectors started in 2017; its mission is to encourage more individuals to recognize the joys of collecting and help them become more knowledgeable and informed about regional art and artists.
   Spurring the development of this new organization are its co-founders Sarah Webb and Rome Celli, both dedicated collectors.
   Rome Celli, a local realtor, has been collecting art since he ran an urban art gallery in the 1980’s. He has long known what a wealth of artistic talent there is in Rochester and the 60-70 mile radius around it.
   As an avid collector, Rome became keenly aware of the need to expand the love of collecting. “I wanted to do something to support visual arts in the region,” he explains. “We certainly don’t lack for excellent and diverse artists in our area. What we do need are more collectors . That’s where Rochester Art Collectors comes in. We’re the gardeners who are sowing the seeds and providing the encouragement, education and exposure to help grow a host of strong new collectors who will love and appreciate what our regional artists have to offer.”

   Co-founder Sarah Webb is a long-time collector, exhibiting artist and author, university instructor and community arts volunteer.  Sarah has known Rome since they first worked together on the former Pyramid Center Board in the 1990’s. “When we ran into each other again in 2017 and I learned he was starting this organization, I knew I wanted to get involved.“
The two are building Rochester Art Collectors’ programs and events to help redefine both what a collector is and how to become one.  Rome frequently speaks to groups about collecting ; when he does, he asks people how many original works of art they have in their homes.  According to Rome, “If you own two pieces of original art, you are a collector!”  He and Sarah are excited about creating opportunities for people of all ages and interests to learn to trust their instincts and buy what they love.
Sarah says she likes to ask people, “What does it mean to live with art? “ She also offers advice to beginning collectors. “Notice what you are drawn to. Is it a specific subject matter or medium, for example? What makes you want to look, and look again?
“Once you take your first art work home, pay attention to what happens next. How does the new work commingle in your home? What happens when you pair it with something you already have; perhaps another formal piece of  art or perhaps a piece of driftwood that you picked up along the shores of Lake Ontario? How does that scraggly line in the artwork perhaps mimic the line of the horizon you see through your window? “
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What is Rochester Art Collectors?

   ​​Rochester Art Collectors is a privately funded, independent, non-commercial group created to promote collecting all types and styles of art. This all-volunteer group is currently comprised of about 300 members who have a shared interest in building a strong, vibrant arts scene in the region.
Rochester Art Collectors does not provide information on the investment aspects of collecting; there are ample other resources for that.
Members of Rochester Art Collectors do get opportunities to meet other art enthusiasts, visit galleries, interact with and support artists, and learn more about collecting, types of collections and ways to get started.
Rochester Art Collectors does not represent artists and does not sell art.  It does not endorse or recommend any particular venues for purchasing art.  It does list venues where you can purchase art on its website and invites website visitors to suggest other venues that may not be listed.
The works you will see shared on the website are not for sale; they are owned by collectors and are there to give visitors to the website an idea of the range of types of art others are collecting in this area.
Members are occasionally invited to a tour of private collections. These tours tend to be very limited in size and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Recent Events

   In a recent event at Main Street Arts in Clifton Springs, gallery director and curator Bradley Butler led a discussion on curating. The event was called “Curating Your Collection” and paralleled the curating process at Main Street Arts to the curating that happens in your own personal art collection. “Bringing several different styles or types of art together on the walls of your home—perhaps around a single theme—can spark a meaningful dialogue and the whole is often greater than the sum of its parts. That is something I enjoy doing in group shows at Main Street Arts because it can make people see things differently.” Butler said. The group saw examples of past exhibitions that were high points for Main Street Arts as well as images of Butler’s own art collection

What are the benefits of joining Rochester Art Collectors?

​• Participate in building a strong, vibrant arts scene.
• Broaden your exposure to artists and artwork.
• Meet other art enthusiasts and collectors.
• Build your art collection.  • Interact with and support artists.
• Access to member-only information, services and content on this site.
• Access to member-only events and activities: Private tours, art exhibition previews
• Conversations about art with other collectors
• Participate in important decisions about the group.

Membership is FREE

If you would like to learn more about Rochester Art Collectors upcoming events, about buying and collecting art and if you’d like to meet others who share your interests, just go to: www.RochesterArtCollectors.org. Click on the “Join Rochester Art Collectors” button to get involved. It’s easy, it’s fun and it’s free!

    Jeanne Beck is a mixed media artist and owner of Jeanne Beck Art Gallery & Studio, 154 Mill St., Canandaigua, NY. The gallery features periodic regional guest artists, classes and workshops as well as original works. Open Wed 12-4:30, Thurs-Sat., 10-4:30. 585-704-6419.

   When RochesterArtCollectors.org launched its website unofficially in December, 2017 we set goals around what we wanted to accomplish and then took a shot in the dark designing the site.

   Before the organization's launch on April 1, 2018 we tweaked the website layout and much of the content adding pages describing the organization's mission and vision; plugging in a reservation system for our programs and adding a members only section.

   Over the past couple of months we have evaluated our results, considered feedback from members (as well as non-member users) and started to edit and update the site to better match our goals and the expressed needs/interests.  This process will be ongoing.

Here are some of the most recent updates:
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HOME:

• Goal: Offer a quick introduction to the group, provide some examples of art work owned by collector-members, offer links to our social media and make it easy for first time visitors to navigate the site.

 

• Problem:  Too much clutter/information on our "HOME" page made it confusing for first time visitors.

 

• Solution:  We reduced the content on our landing page to the barest minimum; just enough to accomplish our goals. Everything else was either removed from the site entirely, moved to another page on the site or moved to a footer that can be found on every page 

SOURCES:

• Goal: Provide an easy to use list of sources to buy art in our area with some guidance around the types of venues that sell art and what collectors can expect when they walk in the door.

 

• Problem:  We could not easily update and re-sort the list to accommodate new sources or new information;
• Problem:  We initially listed sources by the type of venue (commercial gallery, non-profit, etc.). Users wanted to see a comprehensive listing of sources sorted alphabetically; and
• Problem:  Our members and non-member visitors want to see sources to buy art outside of Monroe County.
• Problem: Members and visitors wanted to see links to art-related events.

 

• Solution:  New technology was applied making it easier to identify the various sub-categories (using colors and an accordion-style drop down layout) as well as update and sort the information;
• Solution:  We added a master list of sources in the metro-Rochester area sorted alphabetically;
• Solution:  We have begun to add sources to buy art outside of Monroe County including the entire six county metro-Rochester area. In addition we have targeted an additional 15 counties outside the metro-Rochester region. Since our base of users and members focuses on the metro-Rochester area we separated out the metro-Rochester sources from sources outside of the metro-Rochester area;
• Solution: We added three sources for art-related events: First Friday Rochester, City Newspaper's event listings page and, a new online source, ArtShow.org.

RESOURCES:

• Goal:  To provide members and visitors with links to relevant resources and background information to support collecting art in our area.

 

• Problem:  We could not easily update and rearrange the list to accommodate new information;
• Problem:  Members & visitors wanted to see businesses like framers listed and business services like art appraisers, curators, etc.;
• Problem:  Members & visitors wanted to see at least one paragraph of description about businesses and business services; and
• Problem:  We were missing information about all the arts councils in our region.

 

• Solution:  New technology was applied making it easier to identify the various sub-categories as well as update and sort the lists;
• Solution: We added new sections to list businesses like framers, consultants like art appraisers, art curators, etc. and arts councils.
• Solution: We added one paragraph of description to the art services section to help members and visitors better understand the services provided by the various consultants.

EVENTS:

• Goal:  To provide members and visitors with a simple way to learn about our upcoming programs/events and then sign up to participate.

 

• Problem: We were missing information about our past programs and events. We want to give visitors information about the kinds of programs and events we like to do.

 

• Solution: We added a list of all the programs we have offered since the organization was launched

NEWS:

• Goal:  To provide members and visitors with stories about topics related to collecting art in our area and the organization.  NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES.

ABOUT:

• Goal:  To provide members and visitors with all the background information about the organization necessary to understand who we are, what we want to do/accomplish and where we are going.  NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES.

#ROCTHEART:

• Goal:  This page was created to connect our social media campaign (#ROCtheArt on Instagram) to the website and to the organization as a whole.

 

• Problem: The volume of participation was outstripping the our server's capacity to display all the qualified postings.

 

• Solution:  We edited down the number of postings on this page. Now we more carefully curate the posts featured. We try to include a greater number of participants and a wider sampling of works rather than trying to include all postings from all participants.

CONTACT:

• Goal:  Provide a very simple tool for members and visitors to reach us. NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES.

   We are still working on revisions and upgrades in our "members only" section. More on this in a future post.