We’ve put together a list of our 25 favorite art books from 2019 that we hope will be favorites of those on your holiday gift list. Remember to put yourself on that list!

1. Cezanne’s Gravity by Carol Armstrong

Focusing on a single artwork by Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), Carol Armstrong sheds new light on this Post-Impressionist artist, connecting him to artists and thinkers, including Roger Fry, Virginia Woolf, Albert Einstein, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty.

November 13, 2018

Yale University Press

296 pages, 8 x 10

108 color + 18 b/w illus.

ISBN: 9780300232714

2. Shirin Neshat: I Will Greet the Sun Again by Ed Schad, Farzaneh Milani, Godfrey Cheshire, and Shirin Neshat

Published in conjunction with the largest exhibition to date of internationally acclaimed artist, Shirin Neshat, this volume examines the artist’s 30-year career and artistic journey as she explores topics of exile, displacement, and identity through photography and video art.

[October 19, 2019 - February 16, 2020, The Broad, Los Angeles, CA]

October 15, 2019

Prestel

240 pages, 9.3 x 1 x 11.3

ISBN-13: 978-3791358758

3. Shunk-Kender: Art Through the Eye of the Camera: 1957–1983 by Jack Cowart, Marcella Lista, Florian Ebnerm Glenn Phillips, and Didier Schulmann

Accompanying the first retrospective of photographic duo Shunk and Kender at the Centre Pompidou, this impressive volume focuses on the defining images of the international avant-garde of Paris of the 1960s and ‘70s candidly captured by two spirited and collaborative photographers.

May 21, 2019

Éditions Xavier Barral

484 pages, 8 x 1.5 x 10.2 inches

ISBN-13: 978-2365112369

4. Boom: Mad Money, Mega Dealers, and the Rise of Contemporary Art by Michael Shnayerson

Michael Shnayerson, longtime Vanity Fair contributing editor, chronicles the rise of the contemporary art market, the largest unregulated financial market in the world, and the mega-dealers who he says created it.

May 21, 2019

PublicAffairs

464 pages, 6.7 x 1.7 x 9.7 inches

ISBN-13: 978-1610398404

5. Black Lives 1900: W.E.B. Du Bois at the Paris Exposition by W.E.B. Du Bois, Jacqueline Francis, Stephen G. Hall, David Adjaye and Henry Louis Gates

At the 1900 Paris Exposition, pioneering sociologist and activist W.E.B. Du Bois presented an exhibition of hand-drawn charts, maps and graphs representing the progress of African Americans since the abolition of slavery, alongside photographs by anonymous photographers that depicted the changing status of newly emancipated people across America. This beautifully designed book, featuring an essay by celebrated art historians, Jacqueline Francis and Stephen G. Hall, reproduces these photographs and Du Bois’ graphic works for the first time

October 29, 2019

Redstone Press

144 Pages

10 x .8 x 13 inches

ISBN-13: 978-1942884538

6. Great Women Artists by Phaidon Editors

Featuring more than 400 artists from more than 50 countries and spanning 500 years of history, Great Women Artists is a compendium of the great female artists that shaped art history, including Artemisia Gentileschi, Mary Cassatt, Lee Krasner, Yoko Ono, and Rachel Whiteread.

October 2, 2019

Phaidon Press

464 pages, 11.8 x 1.8 x 11.8 inches

ISBN-13: 978-0714878775

7. Lucian Freud: The Self-portraits by Jason Sharp, David Dawson, Joseph Koerner, Sebastian Smee, and Lucian Freud

Published in conjunction with the exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, Lucian Freud: The Self-portraits explores the artist’s biography and provides viewers with an insight into the development of his style through the artist’s portrayals of himself.

[October 27, 2019 - January 26, 2020, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK]

December 17, 2019

Royal Academy of Arts

160 pages, 9 x 10.2 inches

ISBN-13: 978-1912520060

8. Venetian Heritage by Toto Bergamo Rossi, foreword by Peter Marino

Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Venetian Heritage--whose mission is to safeguard Venetian cultural legacy as manifested in architecture, music, and fine art--this stunning volume highlights the organization's work in restoring, preserving, and promoting the cultural heritage of Venice.

September 3, 2019

Rizzoli

176 pages, 12 x 12 inches

ISBN: 978-0-8478-6738-7

9. Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson

Former longtime employee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Christine Coulson presents a novel that takes readers behind the scenes of the Met’s magnificent collections to the offices, conservation studios, and storerooms to learn about the private side of New York’s famous museum and its devoted staff of 2,200.

October 8, 2019

Other Press

256 pages, 5 x 7.5 inches

ISBN 9781590510582

10. Robert De Niro, Sr.: Paintings, Drawings, and Writings: 1942-1993 by Robert Storr, Charles Stuckey, Robert Kushner, and Susan Davidson, with an introduction by Robert De Niro, Jr.

This lavishly illustrated monograph is the first to explore the work of American painter and poet, Robert De Niro, Sr. (1922–1993), bringing together the artist’s paintings, prints, and drawings, as well as a selection of his poetry and never-before-published writings. Authors present the innovation, creativity and conviction of the artist and the passion with which he lived his life.

October 8, 2019

Rizzoli Electa

256 pages, 9.5 x 12 inches

ISBN: 978-0-8478-6288-7

11. Vija Celamins: To Fix the Image in Memory by Gary Garrels, Ian Alteveer, Briony Fer, Russell Ferguson, Suzanne Hudson, Frances Jacobus-Parker, Meredith A. Brown, and Nancy Lim

The first major publication of the American visual artist, Vija Celmins, this beautiful catalogue accompanies the critically-acclaimed Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition. The exhibition and catalogue explore the full range of Celmins’s work since the 1960s, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, and prints.

[September 24, 2019 - January 12, 2020, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY]

December 11, 2018

Yale University Press

272 pages, 12 x 9.8 x 1.2 inches

ISBN-13: 978-0300234213

12. Leonardo by Leonardo by Martin Kemp

Written by one of the leading authorities on the immortal Renaissance artist, Leonardo da Vinci, to coincide with the artist’s 500th anniversary commemoration, Leonardo by Leonardo presents the master’s 27 existing paintings and preparatory drawings in a lavishly illustrated volume.

June 7, 2019

Callaway Arts & Entertainment

192 pages, 11 x .8 x 14 inches

ISBN-13: 978-0935112825

13. Ann Craven: Birds We Know by Christopher B. Crosman, Ann Craven and Suzette McAvoy

American artist, Ann Craven, is well-known for her bold and lushly colored depictions of birds, drawn from enlargements of photographs from a single out-of print ornithology book, which were the subject of a survey exhibition at the Center of Maine for Contemporary Art. The exhibition and catalogue include the natural imagery that Craven is known for.

November 12, 2019

Karma Books, New York/Center for Maine Contemporary Art

112 pages, 11.5 x .8 x 11.2 inches

ISBN-13: 978-1949172300

14. Mike Kelley: Timeless Painting edited by Jenelle Porter

Timeless Painting, the catalogue of the exhibition curated by Jenelle Porter at Hauser & Wirth Gallery, NY, features paintings from series created over a 15-year period between 1994 and 2009. Porter’s introduction to the catalogue is joined by texts by visual artists responding to Kelley’s work. As much an “artist’s artist” now as he was in his lifetime, the texts reveal Kelley’s continued inspiration.

[November 12, 2019 - January 25, 2020, Hauser & Wirth Gallery, New York]

November 26, 2019

Hauser & Wirth Publishers, in collaboration with The Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts

200 pages, 10.5 x 13 inches

ISBN-13: 978-3906915456

15. Surrounded by Art: Panoramic Views of America’s Museums by Thomas R. Schiff and Nina Rappaport

Photographer, Tom Schiff, presents America’s most important art museums, including the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. through a series of beautifully composed photographs that will compel viewers to revisit these historic and modern cultural institutions.

October 29, 2019

Rizzoli Elect

224 pages, 12 3/8 x 7 ¼ inches

ISBN: 978-0-8478-6688-5

16. MoMA NOW: Highlights from The Museum of Modern Art by Quentin Bajac, Christophe Cherix, Stuart Comer, Rajendra Roy, Martino Stierli, Ann Temkin, and Glenn Lowry

In October 2019, the Museum of Modern Art celebrated its 90th anniversary with the reopening of its extensively renovated and expanded Manhattan facility. Highlighting 375 artworks from MoMA’s permanent collection of almost 200,000 objects, MoMA NOW provides a chronological overview, celebrating both the museum’s iconic and lesser-known, but equally significant artworks.

October 22, 2019

The Museum of Modern Art

424 pages, 9.8 x 1.4 x 12.2 inches

ISBN-13: 978-1633451001

17. Lee Krasner edited by Eleanor Nairne

Coinciding with a major exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery, Lee Krasner features an outstanding selection of the artist’s most important paintings, collages, and works on paper, and celebrates one of the twentieth century’s most inspiring female artists and pioneers in the field of abstract of expressionism whose work stands shoulder to shoulder to that of her male colleagues.

June 25, 2019

Thames & Hudson

240 pages, 9 x 1 x 11.4 inches

ISBN-13: 978-0500094082

18. Robert Irwin: Untitled (Dawn to Dusk) edited by Rob Weiner

Inaugurated in July 2016 after 17 years of planning, Untitled (Dawn to Dusk) by San Diego-based artist Robert Irwin, is the most recent addition to the Chinati Foundation’s permanent collection in Marfa, Texas. This recently released publication documents the Irwin project and the effect that the changing seasons and times of day have on the experience of the work.

August 20, 2019

The Chinati Foundation

252 pages, 10 x 1.1 x 11 inches

ISBN-13: 978-1942884422

19. Tintoretto: Artist of Renaissance Venice edited by Robert Echols and Frederick Ilchman

Published on the 500th Anniversary of Jacopo Tintoretto’s birth and in conjunction with the National Gallery of Art, Washington’s exhibition Tintoretto: Artist of Renaissance Venice, this lavishly illustrated publication celebrates the great Italian Renaissance painter of regal portraits of the aristocracy, and religious and mythological narrative scenes. Contributing essays by leading scholars and curators and curators and scientific studies make this a groundbreaking publication on the Venetian master.

October 16, 2018

Yale University Press

336 Pages, 10 x 1.2 x 12 inches

ISBN-13: 978-0300230406

20. Bridget Riley: Dialogues on Art edited by Robert Kudielka

In 1992, on the occasion of a major exhibition of Bridget Riley’s work at the Hayward Gallery, BBC Radio broadcasted a series of five dialogues, each between Riley and an art world personality. In honor of the current retrospective organized by the National Galleries of Scotland and the Hayward Gallery, the original BBC broadcasts have been collected and published in this expertly edited volume.

[October 23, 2019 - January 26, 2020, Hayward Gallery, London, UK]

October 22, 2019

The Bridget Riley Art Foundation

128 pages, 6.8 x .5 x 9.2 inches

ISBN-13: 978-1999853921

21. Warhol Women by Blake Gopnik, Lynne Tillman, Alison M. Gingeras, Corice Arman, Brett Gorvy, and John Giorno

Published in conjunction with Lévy Gorvy Gallery’s exhibition Warhol Women, this volume is dedicated to Andy Warhol’s fascinating portraits of women from the early 1960s through the 1980s. This beautifully illustrated publication explores the artist’s female subjects and the complex relationship of the ideals of femininity, beauty, and power.

December 5, 2019

Lévy Gorvy

192 pages, 13 3/4 x 10 inches

ISBN: 978-1-944379-30-8

22. Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll by Jayson Kerr Dobney and Craig J. Inciardi

Play It Loud, the Met’s wildly popular exhibition visited by over 500,000 was the first major museum exhibition to examine the instruments of rock and roll, one of the most important and influential artistic movements of the twentieth century. With iconic guitars owned by Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen and the incomparable bassist Tina Weymouth, Play It Loud is a Christmas essential.

April 23, 2019

Metropolitan Museum of Art

236 pages, 9.2 x 1.2 x 10.8 inches

ISBN-13: 978-1588396662

23. Marsden Hartley edited by Lærke Jørgensen

Focusing on a defining protagonist in American modernism, Marsden Hartley is a concise survey of the painter and writer’s daring innovations in American painting, featuring commentaries on his work by contemporary artists.

[September 19, 2019 - January 19, 2020, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark]

January 21, 2020

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

144 pages, 9.5 x 10.2 inches

ISBN-13: 978-8793659230

24. Edith Halpert, the Downtown Gallery, and the Rise of American Art by Rebecca Shaykin

For over forty years, Edith Halpert’s Downtown Gallery gallery brought recognition and market success to many of the most important American artists of the 20th century. The fascinating story and legacy of Halpert as an art-world tastemaker who relentlessly championed nonwhite, female, and unknown artists is the subject of this richly illustrated book, which is published in association with the Jewish Museum, New York.

[October 18, 2019 - February 9, 2020, Jewish Museum, New York]

November 12, 2019

Yale University Press

232 pages, 9 x .9 x 11 inches

ISBN-13: 978-0300231007

25. Richard Diebenkorn: A Retrospective by Sasha Nicholas

Featuring hundreds of paintings, drawings, and prints covering five decades of Richard Diebenkorn’s illustrious career as both a figurative and abstract painter, this book presents new scholarly research and firsthand reflections by fellow artists, friends and relatives, further cementing Diebenkorn’s place in postwar American painting.

September 10, 2019

Rizzoli

384 pages, 9 7/8 x 11 ¾ inches

ISBN: 978-0-8478-6621-2

Byron Kim Synecdoche, 1991-1992 Wax and oil on panel 100 panels 8 x 10 in. each (JCG10305) Collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. © Byron Kim 2019. Image courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York.

We are thrilled to announce that the 2019 Robert De Niro, Sr. Prize has been awarded to Byron Kim. Established in 2011 by Robert De Niro, in honor of his late father, the accomplished painter Robert De Niro, Sr., the prize recognizes a mid-career American artist for significant and innovative contributions to the field of painting. Nominated each year by a distinguished selection committee, Byron Kim is the eighth recipient of the $25,000 merit-based prize, administered by the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) for which Robert De Niro is a co-founder. 

It was a pleasure collaborating with the 2019 selection committee: Carmen Hermo, Associate Curator of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum; Norman Kleeblatt, former Chief Curator of The Jewish Museum and now an independent curator and critic; and William S. Smith, Editor of Art in America. 

Byron Kim’s work sits at the threshold between abstraction and representation, between conceptualism and pure painting. Kim explores issues of time, identity, and deeply personal ruminations through a minimalist approach. To learn more about Byron Kim, please see: (https://www.jamescohan.com/artists/byron-kim)

Megan Fox Kelly Art Advisory began managing Robert De Niro, Sr.’s estate in 2010. Robert De Niro, Sr. (1922-1993) was part of the celebrated New York School of Post-War American artists. His work blended abstract and expressionist styles of painting with traditional representational subject matter, bridging the divide between European Modernism and Abstract Expressionism. 

(http://www.robertdenirosr.com) 

ARTnews : “Byron Kim Wins Robert De Niro, Sr. Prize, Coveted Award for Mid-Career American Painters” 

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/byron-kim-robert-de-niro-sr-prize-1202670016/

Megan Fox Kelly was honored to join The Aspen Institute Artist Endowed Foundation’s Initiative as a part of the panel discussion on “Strategy Spotlight: Navigating the Art Market.” She joined panelists Sanford Hirsch, Executive Director, Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Foundation; Leah Levy, Executive Director, Jay DeFeo Foundation; moderated by Evan Beard, National Art Services Executive, Bank of America Private Bank. The panel successfully examined the changing state of the art market and how this may influence artist-endowed foundations’ options and strategies for representation.

MULTIPLE PASSIONS: ADVISING COLLECTORS WITH DIVERSE INTERESTS

MEGAN FOX KELLY recently took part in a panel discussion, organized by Masterpiece during their London 2019 fair, which focused on passion-driven collecting practices and how art advisors can guide collectors with diverse tastes.

Art advisors use their expertise to help clients form meaningful, well-chosen collections. While some people build collections with laser-sharp focus, many have broad based interests spanning from Old Masters to Contemporary, from paintings and sculpture to design and antiques. Megan was joined on the panel by Philip Hewat-Jaboor who began his career at Sotheby’s in 1972 and now runs an independent art consulting agency, and London-based advisor Susannah Pollen as they share their experiences helping collectors collect intelligently across multiple disciplines.

Click the link below to listen to their conversation

Masterpiece London 2019 - Multiple Passions: Advising Collectors with Diverse Interests

Building And Managing An Art Collection - CHF Interviews Megan Fox Kelly

MEGAN FOX KELLY recently participated in a Q&A with The Clark Hulings Fund For Visual Artists and addressed market strategy for collectors, art appraisals, and ethical standards for art advisors. The Clark Hurlings Fund for Visual Artists makes it possible for artists to thrive and ensures collaboration among artists, collectors, dealers, other members of the art industry and the wider world of which they are a part. The CHF is a nonprofit organization that aids visual artists on their journey to becoming self-sustaining entrepreneurs.

Below are excerpts from the Q&A between Megan Fox Kelly and interviewer, Sofia Perez. To read the full interview, click here.

As the head of her own full-service art-advisory business, Megan Fox Kelly provides curatorial and market advice, and fine-art services—including acquisitions and sales, strategic planning, collection management, and appraisals—to collectors, attorneys, financial advisors, foundations, and estates. Megan has advised artist and collector estates and foundations, including the Estate of Michael Crichton, The Robert A. and Beatrice C. Mayer Collection, The Terra Foundation for American Art, the Estate of Robert DeNiro, Sr., and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. She is the president of the Association of Professional Art Advisors, and a certified member of the Appraisers Association of America.

What does it mean to run a full service art-advisory business?

We serve our private clients by providing the market advice and curatorial support they need to successfully build, manage, care for, and sell their collections. We advise collectors on creating collections and work with them to acquire art through galleries, private dealers, and auction houses. We also help collectors and trusts with estate planning related to their fine-art collections and work with estate executors and beneficiaries on successful strategies for selling estate collections. In that capacity, we work not only with collectors and their heirs, but also with their trust and estate planners, financial advisors, and trust and estate attorneys.

For a variety of collectors and artist foundations, we also conduct appraisals for insurance, financial planning, and estates. In many ways, that appraisal work is the foundation of our business because in order to buy or sell art intelligently, we need to have the expertise to accurately value that art and explain that value to our clients. We cannot tell collectors what to buy or how much to pay for a work of art unless we ourselves have a strong understanding of value and the market as appraisers. In that capacity, I am a certified member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), which means that I have taken the requisite appraisal study courses and exams, and have over 25 years of expertise in valuing post-war and contemporary art. My experience and membership in the AAA enables me to do appraisals for insurance, and fair-market value appraisals for estates, financial planning, and litigation purposes.

How can APAA advisors make the market function better—to benefit others in the art world and make the market more transparent?

Everything is always transparent with our clients. Because of that transparency, our clients benefit from the same transparency with dealers and auction houses. For example, if you’re receiving any kind of commission or compensation for the works you are selling on behalf of your clients, it is contractually revealed to them in all of the transactions and contracts. The way that auction houses do business aligns with the way we do business. We help to bring additional expertise, either in consigning works to them or helping them present a work of art owned by our clients, providing all of the information we can possibly find. In that way, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.

The same goes for dealers. When working with an APAA art advisor, it is always clear from the beginning how any future transaction is going to unfold, which is not always true with other brokers or art advisors. Whatever fee we make is disclosed to our clients, whether it’s a retainer or a commission that’s based on a transaction.

I know you don’t work with artists, but what do you think they should know about why and how people buy art?

Collectors buy for all different reasons. Some will see an artist’s work, and like it and buy it, whether that artist has a gallery or not. It doesn’t matter if that artist’s work is going to hold its value.

In order for something to hold its value or go up in value, there needs to be a secondary market for it. If you bought a painting for $1,000 and you wanted to sell it ten years later, where are you going to sell it? Is there a gallery or an auction house through which you can sell it? If not, how is its value established? Unless there’s a method to resell something, there isn’t a way to determine its future value. A collector who cares about that factor will very much ensure that a secondary market exists.

Someone who is not interested in the future investment value of an object is going to care less. They’re going to buy what they like. Understanding the motivations of certain collectors is something that’s really important to my business. When artists ask why their work is not selling or why certain collectors have not bought their art, the simple answer is that they weren’t interested in it.

What can living artists do to ensure that their legacy endures, and that their work and name are cared for properly after they’re gone?

Talk to an attorney. A good attorney, someone who has experience in planning for artist estates, is going to help them think through all of the different questions. There are also a number of resources out there in addition to your organization’s website. The Aspen Institute has the Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative; they run seminars and have publications that address these concerns.

I’m often asked to speak at those seminars, and artists are often there. The artists—and sometimes their future foundation directors—attend these events to learn about the whole process. I think that’s a very useful step even before you talk to an attorney. You are developing an informed understanding so that you can discuss the issues with your attorney and create a plan for all of your art.

Michael Bowles/Getty Images for Gagosian Gallery.

Journalist Daniel Grant reports on Larry Gagosian's newly announced advisory arm of his high-profile gallery.

In his article, ‘As Gagosian Gets Into Art Advisory, Should Collectors Be Cautious of Taking Tips From Gallerists?’ (April 19, 2019), Grant shares that “There may be no moral to the story, but there is certainly a trend: Whereas, in the past, players in the art trade had distinct roles, increasingly individuals and companies are trying to be more full-service.”

Quoted in Grants’ article, Megan Fox Kelly notes that, “Sometimes, I find myself talking with a client’s financial advisor about how much of their assets should be invested in art. I’m asked to do things now that I never did just a few years ago.”

Megan is a long-standing member of the Association of Professional Art Advisors (APAA), which requires that its members “may not maintain inventory for sale, accept artwork on consignment or act as private dealers in any transaction.” That requirement protects advisory clients, according to Megan Fox Kelly. Because gallery owners “represent inventory they own or that is on consignment to them,” she explains, “their first responsibility is to their inventory and to their consignors.”

Read the full article by Daniel Grant here.

Two articles in The Wall Street Journal’s October 22, 2018 special report on Wealth Management featured quotes from Megan Fox Kelly. The first, titled “Art Collectors Remember the First Time,” describes how an initial art purchase can have sentimental value far beyond the actual price. And, that first purchase also offers lessons for future investments.

From the opening paragraphs of the story, by the Journal’s Daniel Grant:

Some collectors find their first piece of art by chance. They walk past a gallery and something catches their eye. Others may use a methodical approach, or just buy what a professional tells them they should.

Regardless of how it was acquired, a first piece often holds more sentimental than monetary value. And it is an entry into more serious collecting that comes with a host of lessons.

“Many times, collectors have sentimental attachments to their first acquisitions, and they have a strong desire to keep them, perhaps to remind themselves of where they began, or of a particular time in their lives,” says Megan Fox Kelly, an art advisor in New York City.

Full Article — Wall Street Journal

A second story in the same special Wealth Management report highlighted Kelly’s understanding of what happens to the value of an artwork after the death of an artist.

Once again, from Daniel Grant of the Journal:

It is a morbid question, but one that many buyers of art ask: “If the artist dies, will the price of my artwork go up?”

The surprising answer: probably not. And in the rare instance that the prices do increase, it may take years to happen.

The assumption that the death of an artist will make his or her prices rise is based on the principle of scarcity: When an artist’s production stops absolutely, assuming that demand remains the same, prices should increase, right?

That held true for abstract painter Cy Twombly, who died in 2011 at the age of 83. Before 2011, the highest auction price for a Twombly painting was $8.7 million at Sotheby’s in 2005. Auction prices following Mr. Twombly’s death reached $70.5 million for a painting at Sotheby’s in 2015, and 14 other works have earned $15 million or higher.

Mr. Twombly proved an exception for basically two reasons: “He was an underappreciated artist, and people really understood how few works there were on the market,” says Megan Fox Kelly, a New York City-based art adviser. “Prices went up and, if you wanted a Cy Twombly, get in line.”

Full Article — Wall Street Journal

MEGAN FOX KELLY participated on a panel discussion organized by private advisors and fine art dealers, Dickinson, to celebrate the firms 25th Anniversary. The discussion was held at the Dickinson’s New York branch during the TEFAF Spring Fair. Megan was joined by art advisor, Todd Levin, and William O’Reilly, Senior Director at Dickinson Gallery. The conversation centered on the multiplicity of sources of advice in the art market and how collectors can be best served as they seek to acquire art. The lively conversation explores the relationship between advisors, collectors and the art market ecosystem, and the joys and pitfalls of building a collection.

The panel was covered by Art Market Monitor’s Marion Maneker. Click the link below to listen to a recording of the panel discussion.

Artelligence Podcast: Megan Fox Kelly, Todd Levin and William O’Reilly on Giving Advice in the Global Art Market

Artelligence Podcast.

Megan Fox Kelly spoke on an international program to celebrate Dickinson Gallery’s 25th Anniversary, held at their New York space during the Spring edition of TEFAF New York.

Alongside Todd Levin and William O’Reilly, the conversation explores the relationship between advisors, collectors and the art market ecosystem, as well as the joys and pitfalls of building an art collection.

Listen to the full conversation here.

PASSION-DRIVEN COLLECTING: STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF THE GLOBAL ART MARKET

MEGAN FOX KELLY recently moderated a panel organized by TEFAF New York discussing passion-driven collecting. Museums and private collectors often go to great lengths to capture great works for their collections. In today’s art market, as the circle of collectors expands internationally and an ever-increasing number of collectors are seeking exceptional works of art, a combination of passion and tenacity drive today’s most ambitious collectors and curators. Renowned experts in their field share tales from their personal experiences and the lengths to which top collectors will go to acquire artworks that truly distinguish their collections. 

The panel included:

Marty Eisenberg, collector

Elizabeth Szancer, Art Advisor, ESK Art and Vice-President, Association of Professional Art Advisors

Ann Temkin, The Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Chief Curator, Museum of Modern Art

Youtube: TEFAF New York Spring 2018 - Passion-Driven Collecting

Henry Taylor Cicely and Miles Visit the Obamas, 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 84 x 72 inches (213.4 x 182.9 centimeters)© Henry Taylor, Courtesy of the artist and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles/New York/Tokyo

We are thrilled to announce that the 2018 Robert De Niro, Sr. Prize has been awarded to Henry Taylor. Established in 2011 by Robert De Niro, in honor of his late father, the accomplished painter Robert De Niro, Sr., the prize recognizes a mid-career American artist for significant and innovative contributions to the field of painting. Nominated each year by a distinguished selection committee, Henry Taylor is the seventh recipient of the $25,000 merit-based prize, administered by the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) for which Robert De Niro is a co-founder. 

It was a pleasure collaborating with the 2018 selection committee: Sarah Douglas, Editor-In-Chief of ARTnews; Courtney Martin, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of Dia Art Foundation; and Susan Thompson, Associate Curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. 

Henry Taylor is best known for his portraits which range in subject from panhandlers, to celebrities, to close friends and family. To learn more about Henry Taylor please see: (https://www.blumandpoe.com/artists/henry-taylor#works)

Megan Fox Kelly Art Advisory began managing Robert De Niro, Sr.’s estate in 2010. Robert De Niro, Sr. (1922-1993) was part of the celebrated New York School of Post-War American artists. His work blended abstract and expressionist styles of painting with traditional representational subject matter, bridging the divide between European Modernism and Abstract Expressionism. (http://www.robertdenirosr.com.)

ART news  “Henry Taylor Wins $25,000 Robert De Niro, Sr. Prize”

http://www.artnews.com/2018/06/07/henry-taylor-wins-25000-robert-de-niro-sr-prize/

Artforum "Henry Taylor Wins 2018 Robert De Niro, Sr. Prize”          

https://www.artforum.com/news/henry-taylor-wins-2018-robert-de-niro-sr-prize-75693

Detail of Dan Flavin, Untitled (Marfa project), 1996. © 2011 Stephen Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Douglas Tuck, 2009. Courtesy of the Chinati Foundation.

Journalist Anna Louie Sussman reports on how artist estates are grappling with the question of whether and how to produce posthumous work

Quoted in Louie Sussman’s article, ‘How Dead Artists Continue Producing Work’ (June 7, 2018), Megan Fox Kelly shares that,“Protecting the artist’s market is an essential part of protecting the artist’s legacy. Whatever the artist’s intention, an artist’s legacy and her or his posthumous market can no longer be separated.”

Read the full article by Anna Louie Sussman here.

This April 25-26 in Berlin, The New York Times brings together a select group of the world’s most distinguished art experts and influencers—from dealers and gallery owners to architects, museum directors and curators, from auctioneers and collectors to art industry advisers and corporate executives.

The economics and dynamics of the art market are changing faster than ever before; driven by new buying habits, an increasingly global clientele, and ever-higher pricing led by shifts in supply and demand. Devised specifically with art and cultural leaders at its core, the Art Leaders Network program will define and assess the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the industry today.

Through provocative interviews and riveting discussions, senior New York Times journalists will explore myriad topics, from the impact of economic events on the arts to the outlook for galleries in the age of the mega-dealer, as well as the future of museums and the undiminished fascination with contemporary art.

Megan Fox Kelly will represent the Association of Professional Art Advisors at the conference, leading a discussion on the Changing Role and Power of the Art Advisor in the current market.

The Art Business Conference is a one-day conference for senior art market professionals involved in buying, selling or caring for fine art. The 2018 conference will explore key issues affecting the international art market today. Through presentations, Q&As, panel discussions, and workshops, industry experts will share advice and insights on many of the key factors in running a commercial art or antiques business or collection – including the the latest updates in legislation and taxation. Our panel discussion will address one of the growing fields in the art industry: artist's estates and foundations:

Protecting an Artist’s Legacy: This session offers practical advice for artists’ estates and foundations and explores how technology is working to support artists and their estates. Speakers: Megan Fox Kelly (APAA & Megan Fox Kelly Art Advisory), Tiffany Bell (Agnes Martin Catalogue Raisonné) Christa Blatchford (Joan Mitchell Foundation), David Grosz (Artifex Press) and moderated by Sarah Hanson (The Art Newspaper)

While women represent more than half of the fine art school graduates in the US, the share of female artists drops to about 5% in the auction market. This disparity is also reflected in art auction prices. In 2016, the first 63 most expensive lots could be attributed to male artists. Potential explanations range from differences in endowments and opportunity sets to perceived biases on institutional and market level.

The goal of the symposium is to gain a deeper understanding on the underlying causes of the gender divide in the art market using new results from academic research. The symposium will bring together key practitioners and academics of various backgrounds and different sides of the market to examine the phenomenon from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Megan Fox Kelly joins Yale Professor Jonathon Feinstein and  Roman Kraussl of Luxembourg School of Finance and Stanford University to discuss "Building Collections, Pursuing Passions, and Moving Markets" on a panel moderated by Yale School of Management student, Michael Nock.  Megan will present insights on changing collector profiles and the impact of their motivations on the art market.

Kicking off the beginning of the fall art fair season, EXPO CHICAGO returns this September to the historic Navy Pier welcoming its most international roster yet. 135 leading galleries representing 25 countries and 58 cities from around the world will present some of the highest quality contemporary art and culture. In addition to the leading international galleries, the 2017 exposition features a variety of programs such as the EXPOSURE section, which focuses on solo and two artist presentations by galleries that are eight years and younger selected by curator, Justine Ludwig (Dallas Contemporary), EXPO Editions + Books, featuring artist books, editions, and multiples; and the first EXPO PROFILE section, which highlights single artist installations and focused thematic exhibitions.

As part of its education series, ArtExpo will team up with APAA for a panel moderated by Megan Fox Kelly Next-Level Collecting: Smart Strategies for Collection Building" with Wendy Cromwell (Art Advisor, Member APAA), Helyn Goldenberg (Collector), Diana Wierbicki (Art Attorney), and R. Hugh Magill (Chief Fiduciary Officer, Northern Trust). This panel of professionals will provide insights on collecting, art law, fine art insurance , and wealth strategies for experienced collectors.

This year, EXPO CHICAGO will align with the Chicago Architecture Biennial reinforcing the city's rich history as a destination for arts and culture. 

“A Look at Robert Rauschenberg’s Mark”

MEGAN FOX KELLY was recently quoted in an article written by Henri Neuendorf for Medium.com. The article examines the American artist Robert Rauschenberg’s market while his artistic career enjoys the spotlight with the traveling retrospective exhibition organized by New York’s Museum of Modern Art and London’s Tate Modern.

Below are excerpts from the article. To read the full article click here.

“Rauschenberg’s work is undervalued and the market heavily favors rare early works such as pieces from his “Combine” series (which combined elements of painting and sculpture) and his silkscreen paintings (early experiments combining silkscreen and oil on canvas).Works from Rauschenberg’s “Combine” series are so desirable among collectors that they make up over half (13) of Rauschenberg’s 20 highest-selling lots at auction, yet due to their scarcity only six “Combine” works have come up at auction in the last decade. The remaining seven highest-selling lots are silkscreen paintings. Nevertheless experts say there’s serious growth potential across the entirety of his oeuvre.

…

Speaking as the advisor of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, KELLY notes “Theres a lot of work, very important work, that’s held in museum collections,” she explained. “The seminal works from the 50s and early 60s come up with rarity, and I think that’s why we have responses to them like we had [last auction season] for Rigger (1961) which sold at Sotheby’s for $12.3 million… I think that’s a response to people’s understanding that this work is incredibly rare, and rarer still on the secondary market.”

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Aside from the early “Combine” works, KELLY said that Rauschenberg’s “Salvages” series from the 80s also generates significant market interest, aided by a lower price point typically ranging from between $500,000 to $2 million. She noted that the “Salvages” exhibition at the Ropac gallery in Paris last October sold out the day it opened. Similarly, works on metal from the “Urban Bourbon,” “Shiners,” and “Nightshades” series are also highly coveted, the advisor said.

This summer, the Museum of Modern Art presents “Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends,” the artist’s first retrospective exhibition of the 21st century. The exhibition, which will run May 21st – September 17th, presents over 250 works that range in medium and span the length of his eminent career.

The exhibition identifies Rauschenberg as a connector and makes the argument that his genius resided in his remarkable openness to others. He brought together mediums and artists of seemingly unrelated fields. Such artists included Jasper Johns, Jean Tinguely, choreographer and dancer Trisha Brown, experimental composer John Cage, and and electrical engineer Bill Klüver.

Curator Leah Dickerman’s inspired decision to portray Rauschenbeg not as an individual star but as a creative collaborator distinguishes her presentation from more traditional career retrospectives. Rauschenberg’s groundbreaking mixed-media work that resulted from his singularly forward-thinking attitude continues to inspire young artists today. “Among Friends” breaks down the etymology of Rauschenberg’s most daring works, his past and most influential relationships that were accrued throughout his life. Dickerman’s study of Rauschenberg’s creative collaborations offers rare insight into the artist’s attitude vis-à-vis artistic creation. These principles Rauschenberg developed as an artist resonate today and serve as inspiration to a new generation of artists. 

The exhibition illustrates Rauschenberg’s pioneering approach to art with works such as “Mud Muse” (1968 -1971), a pool of 1,000 pounds of bentonite clay mixed with water which bubbles in bubbles and spurts as air is released in response to the sound levels created by the mud bubbling. Mud Muse, like other early Rauschenberg works, creates an intersection between art and science. One of Rauschenberg’s earliest collaborations was with his fellow artist and wife Susan Weil. The couple created this series of ghostly figures on light-sensitive paper when they were fresh out of their first year at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. Black Mountain College was committed to an integrative approach to education, and the school’s interactive ethos lent itself to Rauschenberg’s interdisciplinary and collaborative art.

Other pieces that resulted from Rauschenberg’s close affiliation to other artists include “Auto mobile Tire Print” (1953), for which he had John Cage drive his car over 20 sheets of typewriting paper; “Erased de Kooning Drawing” (1953), a de Kooning drawing it famously took Rauschenberg a month and 40 erasers to rub out; “Set and Reset” (1983), an interactive set with which Trisha Brown’s dancers could perform.

The exhibition “Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends” itself was a collaboration between the Museum of Modern Art and the Tate Museum London, as well as artist and filmmaker Charles Atlas. Atlas, who worked with Rauschenberg in the past, participated in the installation of works pertaining to the medium of moving image. His participation in the MoMA’s exhibition moved to pay tribute to Rauschenberg’s life-long interest in dance and performance.

Among Friends is more than a chronological survey of Rauschenberg’s career—it establishes the artist as an early and frequent collaborator who was inspired by some of the greatest creative thinkers of his time, and one who continues to inspire generations of artists today.

Megan Fox Kelly is the Advisor for Sales to the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

The Association of Professional Art Advisors (APAA), the sole organization to establish guidelines for ethical art advisory practice and uphold standards of education and expertise, has elected Megan Fox Kelly (Principal, Megan Fox Kelly Art Advisory, New York) President.  Megan is an advisor to private collectors, foundations, and estates and is a leading specialist in artist estates and artist-endowed foundations.  

Newly-elected fellow officers include Vice President Elizabeth Szancer (ESKart LLC, New York); Secretary, Lisa Austin(President, Lisa Austin & Associates, Miami); and Treasurer, Jennifer Duncan (Director, Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies, Washington, DC). 

New APAA Board members include Gabriel Catone (Ruth|Catone, New York), Patricia Dellorfano (Lead Curator, Fidelity Investments, Boston), and Mary Hoeveler (M.G. Hoeveler, Ltd., New York).

They join the current board: Cynthia Altman (Curator, Kykuit, New York), Kay Childs (Topol Childs, New York), Wendy Cromwell(Cromwell Art, LLC, New York), Lee White Galvis (Attorney, New York), Patrick Legant (Patrick Legant-Art Consultancy, London), and Todd Levin (Levin Art Group, New York). 

The organization salutes Joe Houston (Curator, Hallmark Art Collection, Kansas City) who is completing a two-year term as President. “Joe has raised APAA’s profile as a resource for collectors, and the general public through on-line platforms and our newly designed APAA News,” says Megan Fox Kelly, “Thanks to his work, we continue to educate the public, media, and broader art community as advocates for standards of professional practice for qualified art advisors.”

About APAA

APAA, founded in 1980, is comprised of the leadingindependent art advisors and corporate art curators internationally.  Our advisors acquire, maintain and present art on behalf of private and public collections. Representing collectors in diverse areas of specialization, APAA members collectively purchase over $350 million annually at auction and over $400 million at galleries, private dealers and art fairs; and sell over $135 million for their clients on an annual basis.  Our members are required to adhere to specific standards of practice and the APAA’s Code of Ethics that establish and uphold professional standards and ethical work. 

 APAA’s Affiliate members are individuals and companies, such as appraisers, auctioneers, conservators, insurance providers, shippers/handlers and registrars, who support art advisors and corporate art curators and in their practices. Membership is by nomination.

 “APAA members are the leading practitioners in the field of art advisory internationally, and are distinguished as much by their independent, impartial advice, as by their years of education and experience.” says New York advisor Megan Fox Kelly. “We are not private dealers or auction house personnel and do not maintain inventories of art for sale. APAA members are independent advisors and advocates on behalf of their clients. We continue to grow our membership and look forward to welcoming art advisors and private collection curators who share our level of connoisseurship, scholarship, expertise in the art market, and ethical business practices. Our goal is to build a strong, representative international membership organization of art advisors who share our standards of practice.”  

Source:http://bit.ly/2pjJOKR

Image courtesy of Megan Fox Kelly.

Journalist Nate Freeman reports on Megan Fox Kelly’s recent election to become president of the Association of Professional Art Advisors (APAA).

Quoted in Freemans’s article, ‘Megan Fox Kelly Elected President of Association of Professional Art Advisors ’ (May 5, 2017), Megan Fox Kelly shares that, “We are not private dealers or auction house personnel and do not maintain inventories of art for sale. APAA members are independent advisors and advocates on behalf of their clients. We continue to grow our membership and look forward to welcoming art advisors and private collection curators who share our level of connoisseurship, scholarship, expertise in the art market, and ethical business practices.”

Founded in 1980, the APAA acts as a watchdog that sets the ethical standard for art advisors. Megan will replace Joe Houston, the curator of Kansas City’s Hallmark Art Collection, who served a two-year term. “Joe has raised APAA’s profile as a resource for collectors, and the general public through online platforms and our newly designed APAA News,” Fox Kelly said in a press release. “Thanks to his work, we continue to educate the public, media, and broader art community as advocates for standards of professional practice for qualified art advisors.”

Read the full article by Nate Freeman here.