How to Start an Art Collection You'll Love Forever

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In anticipation of Art Basel: Miami, Grey Area owner and art world scion, Kyle DeWoody, gives ELLE a cheatsheet on how to begin a collection of your own. For more on Kyle and her bonafides, see inside Grey Area (and Kyle’s closet), in our December issue.

For the neophyte collector, the art world can be intimidating. How would you suggest getting started?

Go to art fairs. They can be overwhelming, but it’s the easiest way to see a lot of work from different galleries around the world. Even if you’re not ready to buy, see what works appeal to you and what galleries have works that you’re drawn to. You can check out the gallery’s website when you’re back home, look at other artists they show, sign up for their newsletter. A lot of people are scared of galleries, but if you make the first step, they might take you to the back room to show you other artists they’re working with or other artists you might like. If the artist is local, you can go to their space and see their works in person. Studio visits are an amazing way to see where the work comes from and the story behind it.
Fairs can be a sensory overload. What are your tactics for navigating that space?

If you’re in a city where there are a lot of galleries clustered together in certain neighborhoods, they often have openings all on the same night. Also, I just discovered the Art Forum app, which lists a lot of the openings and shows that are going on in whatever major city you’re in.
What is the best way to educate yourself as an art world outsider?

Buy magazines. There are a lot of great art-focused magazines like Art Forum, Blouin Artinfo and Modern Painters. Artlog.com, owned by my partner at Grey Area, is another great resource, as well as BlouinArtInfo.com.

Once you’ve fallen in love with a piece, there’s the actual sale. Should you plan for a long courting process, or try to avoid buying the first thing you see that you like?
Do some research before you buy. See the comparable works and figure out what it is that you’re drawn to. Your taste evolves and it’s good to take your time, because while there’s the instant, guttural, “I love this, I want to live with it,” it never hurts to think about things. There are definitely pieces that I bought early on that I can see my youth in.

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