Events | Love Art Fair Toronto

Art is a subject matter that I absolutely love. Be it photography or paintings, there are a lot of choices out there to bring into your home and represent your individual personality. But where do you start when faced with making a purchase? The problem is that with so many styles, artists and outlets available to us these days the choices can be both daunting and confusing. So if you are like me and could use some advise on how to tackle the world of art, lucky for you that Love Art Fair is coming to Toronto from May 8-11th!

With sister events happening around the world, Toronto is lucky enough to be hosting an event like no other. “The concept is simple, yet unique: an inspiring and friendly atmosphere in which you can find thousands of paintings, original artist-made prints, sculptures and photographs all under one roof, ranging from $100-$10,000, with more than half priced under $5,000.”

I recently had the chance to chat with Love Art Fair Director, Nicole Milkovich and ask her a few questions before the big event comes to Direct Energy Centre Toronto on May 8th.

1. As an art lover, I like to consider my art both eclectic and a reflection of my personality. For the first time art buyer out there who has no idea what style to gravitate to or start with, what would be your top three tips to starting out a collection? 

Tip #1

For a first time art buyer I think the best thing to do is to get in front of as much art as possible. Visit galleries, art fairs, museums, and art auctions. From there you will begin to see what you are drawn to, I always tell people to follow their instincts and then start to pay attention to what is attracting them. The only way to figure out your taste is to see it first hand. And remember, follow your heart not the opinion of anyone else, you are the one that will be enjoying it for years to come.

Tip #2

Learn about art. Once you figure out what style of art you like or the artists that interest you most, don’t be afraid to ask the gallery owner questions about the artist and about the work. What medium is the work? Is this part of a bigger series of work by this artist? How long has the artist been practicing? Who is the artist influenced by? You will find that gallery directors are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the work of their artists.  If you find a gallery or artist you really fall in love with make sure to sign-up on their mailing list so you can stay up to date with all the great events, blog posts and new work they are offering. 

Tip #3

Be prepared. Once you have done some research and know what type of work you are looking for, I would recommend that you figure out what you are willing to spend on a piece of art. You don’t want to regret a purchase because it was over your budget, so decide on a budget of what you are willing to spend and that will help you stay on track.

2. What was your first piece of art and why did it catch your eye? 

I have been gifted a few really cool pieces of art in the past but the first piece I ever bought was a mixed media collage by Joe Rudko, an emerging artist from Seattle, Washington. I was drawn to his work because I thought they were simple, beautiful and clever. The entire series of these works was displayed beautifully in a grid six collages wide by four collages high, and each piece was framed and is approximately 12” x 18”. The price was in my budget ($300) and I new right away that I wanted one, however, it took me a few hours of revisiting them to figure out exactly which one. The piece I decided on was actually being purchased by the time I came back so I had to pick another. This was a good lesson in buying original art, you really only have one chance to buy an original work, so don’t wait too long or someone else will see what you see and scoop it up!

 

(Joe Rudko, 2013, photographs, photographic spotting pen, colored pencil, graphite, on paper.)

3. What in your opinion is the best website (aside from http://www.loveartfair.com/toronto of course!) where Canadians could head to in order to start their research?  Does the advances in social media alongside artists and brands help or hinder the research process?

There are a few good websites to start your research. I would check out www.artinfo.com or www.artnet.com which both have tons of information about what is happening around the country, styles of work, artists to watch, etc. Another place where I spend a lot of time is at www.wondereur.com. It is an amazing site created and developed in Toronto. They take a photojournalistic approach to telling the stories of the artists and of the art, and best of all, the work is also for sale!

I think social media is great for artists and galleries to let their followers know what is happening all the time and it does help to keep people engaged. My only concern is sensory overload. With so much art and so many options it can all be overwhelming.

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Some great tips and tricks from Nicole for us all! Thank you Nicole for taking the time to inform the DoTheDaniel.com audience.

Now, what would a great event be on DoTheDaniel.com without a giveaway to go alongside? Want to win two tickets to attend The Love Art Fair?

Simply tweet the following:

“Dear @DoTheDaniel, I want to be inspired with @LoveArtTO and DoTheDaniel.com!”

Winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday April 16th 2014 at 5:00pm. One tweet per twitter account will be counted as entry. Winner will be announced via @DoTheDaniel Twitter account and contacted for details.

Don’t forget that for tickets to join me at this amazing event, click here. To follow along the social media adventures, make sure to follow and tweet with @DoTheDaniel and @LoveArtTO!

Photos: Love Art Fair

Cheers!

Daniel Desforges