Call collect By KAREN SHADE World Scene Writer
Tulsa World 3/4/2007
Deciding to become art collector may be decision of the heartJosh Davis doesn't consider himself an art collector. He thinks he might like to be one.
"When I think of an art collector I think of someone who usually has at least a few thousand dollars' worth of stuff. That's what an art collector is in my mind," he said during a recent visit to Artifacts, 819 E. Third St.
He's only 27 and works in the policy, research and analysis office for the mayor It's fitting that his first fine art purchase came out of an Artifacts gallery show titled "Politics at Play."
"It was at about the same time when the mayor won the election, and I just thought this was a good piece to buy now to remember this point in time," he said.
He ended up taking home a pop-art inspired piece playing off the symbols of the Democrat and Republican parties. More recently he purchased another piece from the gallery, another work from another emerging local artist.
"This is kind of a start for me. It's kind of a start for a lot of people in Tulsa, I think -- younger people who may not have a lot of exposure to this sort of thing," he said.
A day came when Davis outgrew Bob Dylan posters and Van Gogh prints that decorated his dorm rooms and first apartments. He tuned into an appreciation for original work.
He isn't certain that he knows what "good art" exactly is, "but I feel like I'm someone who appreciates art and would like to, over the course of my lifetime, get to the point where I think of myself as somebody who collects," Davis said.
Now on the board of directors of Artifacts, Davis is comfortable with the nonprofit gallery's relaxed and unpretentious approach.
Artifacts opened two years ago in Jenks, but just relocated to the burgeoning creative arena that is being called the East Village district near downtown. The East Village is already home to the Living Arts of Tulsa and Liggett Studios, as well as a growing number of galleries.
Founder Brian Arneecher said the gallery presents a range of artworks that include new projects by established local artists to those by some of his former students at Jenks High School, who have gone on to study at art schools all over the country.
Ameecher describes the majority of works as quality, emerging art by "people still trying to find themselves a little bit. It has a little edge to it."
The gallery's focus has been to help artists begin building their professional careers and, perhaps, keep the good ones from abandoning Tulsa for larger cities.
But for the collector, the local art market can be an intimidating prospect, Arneecher said.
"It's more of an investment here, and it's a little scarier for people in Tulsa to go ahead and make that jump, because if they're just starting out, rents are $700 or more," he said. "So they're looking at it as, 'What percentage of this piece is my rent?' "
Arneecher said Artifacts, as a market for more affordable pieces, makes sense for a city still nursing a small community of collectors.
Mary Ann Doran opened the M.A. Doran Gallery, 3509 S. Peoria Ave., in 1979 with a similar purpose.
"It's really exciting to see that a number of the people I started with now show nationally and internationally and are in museums all over the world. Kreg Kallenberger is a great example of that," she said.
Representing more than 45 mostly local artists, Doran has worked with three generations of art collectors since opening.
"I always tell people . . . you need to love the piece of art," she said. "For all the collectors I've know for as long as I've been selling art, they love their art. Much of it has gone up in value -- much of it has appreciated quite a bit -- but a real collector seldom thinks about selling his or her art. They're buying it because the piece speaks to them or the story speaks to them."
Not everyone can articulate that elusive quality, but Doran has seen many times how the aesthetics of a painting go to work on the right person.
"All of the art forms bring joy or a new thought process. They add something. Good art helps reinterpret the world for you," she said.
Good art evokes new thoughts and reveals a certain quality to life, whether it begins with good literature, music, cinema or sculpture.
"The very first piece of art I bought for myself years ago -- it was a $300 piece of art, and I paid $50 a month for it."
Doran extends the same courtesy to her customers, allowing them to pay in installments, especially those who are just starting out in life.
"When I talk to a new collector, age isn't necessarily a factor . . . I talk more about what appeals to your taste, how do you want to represent yourself in your home, what speaks to you," she said.
"If they start quizzing me about the investment qualities, I really do tell them you don't really want to unless you're looking at a great deal of money. To buy art to just turn around and sell it, that's not who I am and what we do," she said.
Pat Chernicky is a true collector, having started with Doran in 1994 with a large acrylic work by David Fielding. Chernicky had just moved into a bigger house with plenty of blank walls to fill.
"It's really hard for me to explain this because I really don't have a background in this, but I just knew this when I saw it that this was the piece for the house. That's really been the cornerstone of what I've built with other things."
She buys what she likes, which duly explains why her collection is both eccentric and personal.
"It makes my house a home," Chernicky said. "It's the first thing people comment about when they come in my house. They comment on how much it looks like me, how much it feels like me. It represents me and looks like I live here."
For those curious about owning one-of-a-kind work (part of collecting's appeal), Doran said it is important for a potential collector to read up on the contemporary scene trade magazines and browse the galleries to get a better idea of your tastes.
While some people are more intuitive about their likes and dislikes in fine art, others may be starting just to cover a bare wall. Building relationships with galleries and their representatives is also a plus.
"Lots of times they really don't know. That's why I really encourage people to come often. People come and they may come once a week or once a month and come through and look at everything."
Doran adds that you learn a lot about the artist, but you may also learn a lot about yourself.
"I think when you love the artist's work, your enthusiasm and your belief shows. It just shines through and it motivates people to take a look and a second look at the work," Doran said.
Karen Shade 581-8334 ?karen.shade@tulsaworld.com
Information
M.A. Doran
3509 S. Peoria Ave.
748-8700
Artifacts
819 E. Third St.
857-4869 ?
http://www.artifactsinc.orgMore listings of galleries and current exhibits are available Fridays in Tulsa World's Spot magazine weekly calendar listings.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID=070304_Ar_d6_collect