Art dealer

An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art.

Role

An art dealer typically seeks out various artists to represent, and builds relationships with collectors and museums whose interests are likely to match the work of the represented artists. Some dealers are able to anticipate market trends, while some prominent dealers may be able to influence the taste of the market. Many dealers specialize in a particular style, period, or region. They often travel internationally, frequenting exhibitions, auctions, and artists’ studios looking for good buys, little-known treasures, and exciting new works. When dealers buy works of art, they resell them either in their galleries or directly to collectors. Those who deal in contemporary art usually exhibit artists’ works in their galleries, and take a percentage of the price the works sell for.

Job requirements

Art dealers often study the history of art before entering on their careers. Related careers that often cross-over include curators from museums and art auction firms are industry-related careers. Art critics or art academics also find success as art dealers.

Dealers have to understand the business side of the art world. They keep up with trends in the market and are knowledgeable about the style of art people want to buy. They figure out how much they should pay for a piece and then estimate the resale price. They are also passionate and knowledgeable about art. Those who deal with contemporary art promote new artists, creating a market for the artists' works and enabling themselves entrepreneurial success. The art world is subject to economic booms and bust just like any other market. Art dealers must be economically conscious in order to maintain their livelihoods. The mark ups of art work must be carefully monitored. If prices and profits are too large, then investments may be devalued should an overstock or economic downturn occur.

To determine an artwork’s value, dealers inspect the objects or paintings closely, and compare the fine details with similar pieces. Some dealers with many years of experience learn to identify unsigned works by examining stylistic features such as brush strokes, color, form. They recognize the styles of different periods and individual artists. Often art dealers are able to distinguish authentic works from forgeries (although even dealers are sometimes fooled).

Notable art dealers

• Klaus Perls

Perls was born and raised in Berlin. He studied art history in Munich, but was forced to finish his education in Basel, Switzerland, as the Nazis were no longer allowing degrees for Jews. He ran Perls Galleries for over 60 years. His gallery dealt with contemporary American artists, modern works from the School of Paris and Mexican and South American art. Perls also developed an interest in art from Benin and built a sizable collection. He was not only an art dealer, but also a donor as he contributed many significant works of art to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He died June 2, 2008 in Mount Kisco, N.Y. at age 96.

• Martha Hopkins Struever

Struever was born in 1931 in Milan, Indiana. She attended the Tobé-Coburn School For Fashion Careers (now the Wood Tobé-Coburn School in New York City, after obtaining her bachelor's of science degree from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana in 1953. She began collecting and dealing in American Indian art in 1971, and is regarded as a leading scholar on historic Pueblo Indian pottery and contemporary Pueblo and Navajo Indian jewelers. She has authored books on Charles Loloma, the foremost American Indian jeweler, and Dextra Quotskuyva, the pre-eminent contemporary Hopi potter, as well as catalogues on Hopi potter Iris Nampeyo and other Hopi art, and has guest curated museum exhibitions in several cities.

• John Weber

Weber was born in 1932 in Los Angeles. He was a radio corpsman in the Navy during the Korean War before receiving a bachelor’s degree from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio in 1958. As a contemporary art dealer, Weber was ahead of his time as he was one of the early promotors of Conceptual Art, Post-Minimalist sculpture and Italian Arte Povera. He was the director of several galleries throughout his career and helped organize shows that featured big names such as Robert Indiana, Richard Long and Andy Warhol. Weber died May 23, 2008 in Hudson, N.Y. at age 75.

Professional organizations

• Antique Tribal Arts Dealers Association, Inc. (ATADA)[http://www.atada.org/}
• Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA)[1]
• Art and Antique Dealers League of America (AADLA)[2]
• Association of Art and Antiques Dealers (LAPADA)[3]
• British Art Market Federation (BAMF)
• British Antique Dealers' Association (BADA)[4]
• Confédération Internationale des Négociants en Oeuvres d'Art (CINOA)[5]
• Fine Art Dealers Association (FADA)[6]
• Private Art Dealers Association (PADA)[7]
• Society of London Art Dealers (SLAD)[8]
• The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF)[9]

See also

• Appraiser
• Art finance
• Art market
• Art sale
• Art valuation
• Art world economics
• Auction
• Blockage discount
• Curator