How To Think Like A Hospitality Art Consultant
What is art to you? Each person has a radically different definition. Art sculpts an umbrella over a number of activities, including musical, physical, lyrical and visual to name a few.
The visual arts alone have many subcategories, such as original painting, sculpture, fiber, etc.; these subcategories then each host endless genres, for example, literal, classical, minimal, modern and abstract, among others. On top of that, people have art they like and art they don’t like, and there's the endless number of pieces to consider. What colors are best, and once you have the art, how should you frame it? Where should you put it? With never-ending decor options, how does one pick the best art for a space?
The point I’m hoping to conjure is that to many, art curation is a foreign topic, and the newness can make them uneasy. Luckily, there are some key strategies that help the task feel more clear and also fun! Like most things in the creative world, many approaches exist. These are my tips to begin the art curation journey.
Build your confidence.
Hospitality consultants trust their gut when they like or dislike something. You may ask, “How do you learn to trust your gut?” Well, how do you learn taste in anything? Through experience. The meals you eat form your culinary taste. Similarly, the artworks you experience will shape your art confidence.
For beginner art enthusiasts, visit as many museums as possible. Research admission-free days, and search for guided tours; the stories of the art will help seal the information in your memory. Galleries don’t charge entrance fees; stroll the space, and if you like something, ask the gallerist if they have time to tell you more about it. Sign up for gallery newsletters in major cities, and read about the artists you like. Go to a library or bookstore, and flip through the pages of interior design magazines and artist picture books. Review domestic and foreign publications. Notice the art during your weekly life at restaurants and commercial spaces. When something draws you in, take pictures and notes.
