Art World News "| Koleen Kaffan
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Marie Craig, co-owner and director of Fountain Street Gallery, a contemporary gallery in the SOWA art district of Boston, says that people need to feel a connection with the work and that can take patience. “In our experience, art sales result when a collector feels an emotional connection to the artwork,” she says. “This cannot be rushed or forced. But we can offer solutions, such as payment plans, shipping, installation or other logistic assistance that can remove obstacles to the purchase.”

Moving the conversation away from the cost can help the collector visualize the work in their home or office. “The most common obstacle we find that collectors face is where to install the artwork in their space.They know they love the piece but are unsure how to incorporate it into their existing collection. We can assist with that. Sometimes, but less frequently, the obstacle is financial.”

Since people are already in the gallery or frameshop, they want to buy. The permission to take out their wallet comes with conversation and building the relationship. “I think that is often the case, particularly with new collectors; nothing feels more gratifying to me as a gallerist than seeing someone purchase their very first piece of original art,” Ms. Craig says. “In the first year of the pandemic, many people found themselves home much more and had more disposable income because their usual forms of entertainment (restaurants, theater, etc) were not available to them, so they turned their attention to improving their home environment. Art purchases were an important part of making their homes feel warm, personal and distinctive. We saw a big increase in online purchases as a result.”

Presenting Collectors With a Reason to Buy