Alice Shapiro: Why collect art?
On a quiet day near the end of 2023, I walked around downtown Kinston with no particular destination or purpose in mind. Art 105 was open, and I entered. Upon reaching Bruce D. Ziegler's space, the artist greeted me cheerily, and we began a conversation about artmaking. As we walked around the art-filled space, Ziegler showed me several pieces he had made over the years, and I began to see a pattern, or a style, emerge from the many displayed on the walls and floor.
At a certain point in our talk, Ziegler mentioned his intention to clean up and organize the display. As an artist myself, I understand the need for movement, rearranging on the canvas, or redecorating a room to encourage the creative process. Such activity provides a gap or rest from hands-on effort, allowing percolating ideas to emerge as an image to paint. I noticed that Ziegler's abstract painting stood out among all, bringing a focal point from which a viewer could branch out toward his other art.
The arrangement reminded me of the circular design of a Steve Jobs corporate system. The lace-like patterning and muted color palette gave the piece a calmness of spirit with a touch of elegance. Most of Ziegler's offerings are still life and landscape, yet the abstract felt strong within the heart of his oeuvre without being distracting or jarring. Ziegler is a prolific painter, and new pieces appear often. I asked him to share a few words about his calling:
Bruce D. Ziegler's at Art 105. Photo: Submitted by Alice Shapiro.
“I was inspired when, at about five years old, my father encouraged me to draw the world around me. When I was in my twenties, I began to paint more seriously. After much practice and observation of master paintings, my skills improved, and I began to sell. Originally, the paintings were realistic and historical in nature. When I began painting abstracts, my imagination and intuitive expressions gave me a new sense of freedom. I strive to create quality work that is unique, timeless, and inspiring to others. The kind of art that anyone would enjoy hanging in their living spaces.”
Soon, Art 105's owner, Brandon Potter, returned from lunch, and I took the opportunity to ask about his “Why.” Potter's story is fascinating and inspirational:
“We purchased the property at 105 W. Blount St. in 2018. At the time, I had been a tenant of Art 105, which was originally conceptualized and owned by Cynthia & Michael Dunn. I had a photography studio on North St. in Kinston at the time and was renting a space at Art 105 for my screen printing studio. When the time came to stop paying so much rent and invest in a property, Cynthia and Michael were kind enough to offer the property to us. As a growing family with growing businesses, the opportunity to own the property and also live upstairs seemed like a perfect fit for us. We have worked very hard to build a home here, a place that houses all of my endeavors, as well as a place where our 12 resident artists can network, create, and sell their wares.
Art lovers should visit our space because Art 105 offers the unique experience of meeting the artist, seeing them work in real time, and purchasing a piece directly from them. Also, at Art 105, 100% of the sales go to the artists; they only pay rent on the spaces, no commission. So every purchase at Art 105 supports local artists directly and raises up art as an economic driver in Kinston.
The website for Art 105 is art105studios.com, and my website for all of my endeavors is magicmilecreative.com.”
Now that you've gotten a glimpse of Kinston's art scene, I wanted to answer the burning question, “Why Collect Art?” and then share a few practical nuggets for newbie collectors.
In my experience, art is collected mainly by those who have grown up in a creative environment. I collected stamps. School trips brought us to the Opera, Ballet, and Shakespeare. Early exposure can expand a child's awareness as well as help them make stronger decisions and bring all the other benefits a creative mind into the world. Yet, once the beauty of life wears off, for various reasons, it's harder to convince individuals about the value of art to those in survival mode, and institutions with dwindling budgets.
Is there hope?
In contrast to my early experiences, I recently saw a YouTube video showing short, unprofessionally edited cool facts about worldly happenings, and quite frankly, I shook my head in horror. Many young people were loving the series of 5-second content narrated by two animated comic book characters, which seemed to me to be dumbing down potentially fascinating learning experiences. I wanted to know more than a snippet-like Instagram or TikTok scroll.
We are, however, all a product of our times. And on second thought, if I became curious, maybe they would be also?
On January 1, 2024, that glimmer of hope emerged when I read an article that a 95-year-old Mickey Mouse went public domain. Disney is standing firm on its trademark ground, watching creators like a hawk and ready to start litigating unfair use at the sound of a pin drop. Usurpers beware! NFT creators also jumped on the bandwagon quickly because, after all, they don't really have to create anything; simply upload Mickey and issue contracts. NFTs are collected for their financial investment potential, like a Wall Street stock - you still only get a piece of paper (to an image instead of a company's bottom line). Yet for those of us who grew up with Mickey, nostalgia takes over and I had to participate one more time.
Alice Shapiro: Why collect art? Image submitted by Alice Shapiro.
In my youth, I copied caricatures from the Sunday paper such as Elvis, Marilyn, and other celebrities, and had my first view of Fine Art from a home and garden magazine ad selling art prints. You never know what influences inspire an artist, especially if they have to sow where they are planted. Interestingly, there was a society push for me to become an illustrator, but I felt a stronger pull toward Surrealist paintings.
While reading the Neuse News monthly reviews of 2023's top-read articles, I became curious if some of those youngsters had more access to creative activities, could they have become artists or art collectors? Of course, I'm speculating that they didn't have exposure or opportunities. It seems the newest Generation Alpha (b.2010-2024) is, however, heading upward, as an 8-year-old’s art tattoo, as told by his Mom on LinkedIn, said, “Save The Earth.”
You can reach Alice Shapiro from her website https://aliceshapirostudio.com.
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