Insights
By: Anna Smith
3. Adventures in art – a week in the life of a collection manager
Day Three! Wednesday...
The first call is with the manufacturer of metal elements for an outdoor sculpture commissioned by a client. We discuss the process of completion, best mode of transport (via sea or air), whether the artist or someone from the artist’s studio needs to be present, requirements in situ, installation and maintenance.
Later, we meet a client to discuss the long-term plan for a recently inherited collection of Tribal Art. We start by setting a timeline to complete a physical inventory (measure, photograph and attribute an inventory numbers). We then discuss a more long-term strategy including conservation considerations and defining with the client if any pieces should be ‘deaccessioned’ (officially removed from a collection in order to sell it) and how.
Lunchtime is spent at auction houses, Christie’s and Sotheby’s, to see the preview of their upcoming sales in which a number of client works are being consigned.
In the afternoon, it is time to look at another client’s fine art insurance policy that is up for renewal. We need to review the valuations received from two auction houses and update the insurance lists with new values, locations and movements of the art works, and see if we can negotiate better rates.
An hour is then spent preparing a presentation for a panel conversation at The European Fine Art Foundation.
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