At its heart CGN is a unique resource devoted to exploring and supporting the contemporary art market by listening to collectors and gallerists, promoting living artists and by educating new and future collectors. 

One of the ways we keep this exploration interesting is to regularly examine the various art collections in our midst. No collection is the same and each is as unique as its steward. CGN has conducted dozens of interviews over the years with collectors who have generously shared their stories, homes and treasured pieces with us. Collecting art is fulfilling pursuit, but there are bound to be delightful moments as well as inevitable challenges. We asked a handful of collectors to share their own stories or lessons learned, as well as some insight into what has kept them going and what may inspire the next generation of collectors who are so important to the future of the art market and today’s working artists. Keep up with CGN to read more collector stories and interviews.

– CGN

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The painting that didn’t get away: Eric White, Orgonomic Functionalism Conference, 1973

“We have a ‘one that got away plus a silver lining’ story about collecting. 

A few years ago, we had been eyeing a striking painting by an artist we’d been following. We showed it to a friend of ours—a seasoned gallerist and art consultant—just as we were getting serious about acquiring it. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a tactical error. Before we could make a move, a client of hers swooped in and bought the piece. We were crushed, and more than a little annoyed with ourselves for hesitating. But as luck would have it, that loss led us to one of our favorite acquisitions. With our ‘art funds’ still intact, we inquired about available work by another artist we admired. To our surprise, a painting recently returned to the gallery had just become available–Eric White’s Orgonomic Functionalism Conference, 1973. It had been purchased by Courtney Cox and David Arquette but didn’t work in the space they’d planned. We loved it and snapped it up. In the end, missing out on the first piece turned out to be a blessing—because we ended up with something we love even more.

After we bought the painting we learned that director Wes Anderson had also tried to buy it but missed out. So now every time we watch a Wes Anderson movie we say something along the lines of, ‘Your loss, Wes Anderson!’”

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The collectors and the artist, in front of the painting. On left: Brian; center: Eric White; right: Michael.