Why Buy Art?

A few months ago I shared a glass of wine with one of my Frequent Art Buyers, a woman with investments who not only has a passion for wine but collecting contemporary traditional art. Her collection includes the work of some very well known western painters, as well as several of the artists I represent. “Why buy art?” came up in the conversation and made me think about why people acquire artwork.
 
There are many reasons why people buy art. Some people fall in love with the work and cannot imagine living one moment longer without it. In fact, my great joy as an art rep is to bear witness to that moment when someone falls in love with a new work of art and commits to it. 
 
Others buy fine art because it reminds them of a happy time or place. It makes them feel good.

For other people, new artwork solves a design problem. The acquisition adds visual interest to their décor and enhances their living or working environment. Their art reflects their taste and personality and helps define who they are.

Mainly, art makes a house a home.  When my father, the illustrator and landscape painter, Robert G. Stevens died, I cleaned out my parents' home in Santa Fe. The very last things I removed were my father's  paintings. With everything else gone the house looked empty but was still my parents' home until I took down his artwork. The effect was devastating. Their home became, in a single moment, a house to be rented out.  
 
So why buy art? Because now, more than ever, with all of the turbulence in the world, we need to surround ourselves with the unique warmth that only fine art can bring.