Avisca Fine Art presents Gallery Talk and Presentation on Collecting Art by noted scholar and collector, Dr. Robert E. Steele

Avisca Fine Art Gallery presents a gallery talk and presentation by noted scholar and collector, Dr. Robert E. Steele on “The Importance and Joy of Collecting Art”. The presentation takes place on Saturday November 3, from 3pm to 6pm at the gallery, located at 507 Roswell Street in Marietta. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Dr. Steele is the Executive Director of the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland and Associate Professor at the College of Behavioral & Social Sciences at the University of Maryland. In addition, he is a renowned art collector who, along with his wife Jean, is the owner of the Steele Collection of Works on Paper by African American Artists – a collection of over 1000 works focusing on contemporary African American printmaking – which was the subject of a traveling exhibition from 2003 to 2006, closing at the Wichita Art Museum in Wichita, Kansas.

Contemporary art, and African American art, in particular, have never enjoyed such a high profile and more and more people are realizing how important it is not only to be to be informed about art, but to own a piece of it. Yet to most of us, the subject of art and the workings of the art market remain a mystery, and buying fine art may seem like an intimidating and expensive proposition. But it doesn’t have to be that way if one follows a few basic rules, and even those on a modest budget can embark upon collecting art and find the process highly enjoyable, and sometimes, even profitable.

In his lively, informative and well-illustrated presentation, Dr. Steele sets out a framework for understanding the worth and aesthetic appeal of art and gives effective tips and strategies for starting out and building a collection. He also gives an overview of his own collection, described by one curator as, “a significant body of work”, and which includes artists Benny Andrews, Faith Ringgold, Elizabeth Catlett and Sam Gilliam, among other luminaries.

The event will open with a brief talk and introductions by Dr. Jeff Hines, President of the Board of Trustees of Hammonds House Museum in Atlanta, a prominent collector of African American Art and patron of the arts.


Event Date:
Saturday November 3, 2007
3 pm to 6 pm
(Open and free to the public)

Place:
Avisca Fine Art Gallery
507 Roswell Street
Marietta, GA 30060
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 12 pm – 6 pm

Contact: Byrma Braham
Tel.: 770.977.2732 - Fax: 770.509.0598
E-mail: contact@aviscafineart.com
www.aviscafineart.com