The Contemporary Collectors Club - Art and Travel

Isabella Egan is currently the Manager for the Monte Clark Gallery in Vancouver and a Masters Graduate of Sothebys.

Its been almost a year now since I started this blog and I wanted to thank the online community of Vancouver for its support and encouragement. Special thanks goes to Megan Cole who has been there for all my questions and to Beyond Robson, which in my opinion is the best local Vancouver blog around. 

2008 and what’s in store:

All I can say right now is watch this space. 2008 is going to be an awesome year for the arts in Vancouver and I CANT WAIT TO BE IN THE THICK OF IT! 

2007: 

I was first introduced to Blogging by a friend of mine who is a technical genius and swears by the power of the blog. It took me a while to get my head around it but I finally decided that here was an opportunity for me to maybe reach out and share some of what I know and learn from others.

I come from the world of art, a Dickensian industry, where a number of Gallerys still work from a log book and the concept of Excel Spreadsheets are scary. But even this industry is slowly but surely being dragged into the 21st Century. It’s an exciting time for those of us involved in the art world.The Internet is changing the face of the art world. Our shop windows are no longer our gallery windows, instead it is our websites and our web presence that reflects our image, style and stable of artists. No longer are galleries and auction houses physically and geographically dependent on a local clientele and a physical presence, instead they can be seen across the globe at the click of a button. Artists can share their works with the world outside of their representative galleries through their websites, while Inverstors and Collectors can find information on any artists they choose through a number of sites such as ArtNet.With this revolution occurring in my industry (all be it, a fair bit later than most others) and the passion I have for art, culture and travel in mind, I decided it was time to start sharing my thoughts and feeling with those who were interested.I’ve travelled the world extensively from Australasia, Asia,Africa, Europe, North and South America and India and everywhere I go I encounter people and cultures that continue to intrigue and mesmerize me, entertain me and fascinate me. There is an awful lot out there to see and I don’t by any means wish to portray myself as someone who knows it all. I’m not sure anyone ever could. But by sharing experiences and offering tit bits of advise to those who are interested I would like to think I could help make a visit somewhere a little bit better.I would also like to reach out to the new generation of art collectors, investors and those out there that are maybe just a little bit interested in what is going on out there in the crazy world of Art. I’ve taken to refering to them as Generation X (not overtly original- especially to those of you who are familiar with the works of Douglas Coupland,) but this new generation of Internet savey players utilise the Internet and its wealth of on-line knowledge to improve and influence their investment and collection decisions.As for me, I’m currently the gallery manager for one of Canada’s leading international galleries, the Monte Clark Gallery. Its a wonderful opportunity to be involved in an international contemporary gallery which is not only forward thinking in its marketing strategies but also in its approach to the enlightenment of new clients, visitors and friends to the growth and development of some of Canada’s incredible new talent. I also get to live in Vancouver, possibly one of the most amazing cities on this planet, and I’ve seen a fair few!So I hope that my blogs will offer insightful information for those out there wishing to travel to new destinations, experience new artists and invest in a new alternative asset.