Why this region is good for a first collection
Supply is enormous, the middle market is deep, and you can meet the artist in most venues. A few hundred dollars buys original work with real skill behind it, which is not true in most metropolitan markets.
Where to buy
- League and co-op galleries: best value, artist keeps most of the money, quality varies.
- Juried show sales: work already filtered by a juror; buy at the opening or you lose it.
- Open studios: direct from the maker, see the process, ask questions.
- Outdoor festivals: volume and variety, good for small work, tough for large pieces you have to carry.
- Commercial galleries: the top of the market, professional service, prices to match.
Questions worth asking
Is it an original or a reproduction? Prints and giclees are legitimate but should be priced and labeled as prints, with an edition size. What is the medium and the substrate? Is the paper archival, the varnish removable, the frame acid free? Where has the artist shown? Will they take a payment plan for a larger piece? Reputable sellers answer all of this without flinching.
Original versus reproduction
The single most common confusion at festivals. A canvas print of a painting is not a painting, and the price should be a fraction of one. Ask directly and look at the surface: a print has no brush texture unless it has been embellished, in which case it should say so.
Living with art in a coastal climate
Humidity and salt air are hard on artwork. Keep works on paper out of direct sun, use UV filtering glazing, avoid hanging on exterior walls that sweat, and run air conditioning or a dehumidifier if you close a house for the summer. Foxing and mold on a paper piece are usually the result of a closed, unconditioned Florida house in August.
Documentation
Get a receipt with the title, medium, dimensions, year and artist name. For anything above a modest sum, ask for a certificate or a signed statement. Photograph the work and keep the record with your insurance documents.