Watch the video here!

In this interview Christine gives a general overview of: what led her to develop artVentures, how she developed the club, what the club is about, her top collecting tips and future goals for artVentures and its members.

Christine: "I stumble a little at the beginning of the interview, but then I gain some t.v. calm and get across some good content. It was fun doing the interview, and mostly I hope that people learn a little bit more about artVentures and the positive impact it can have on an individual and on community levels."

The interview has been circulated on social media and will soon be posted to other websites, including Deiska.

This past October an artVentures member took the artVentures tour of Art Toronto. There was special attention on the Focus Asia exhibits, with extra time spent at the Ullens Centre, where the Founder had previously been whilst researching woman artists in Beijing. The result was a very special purchase... While we cannot divulge the details of the purchase here, we can say that it was well recommended by both Founder, Christine Platt, and contemporary Chinese art Curator and scholar, Yan Zhou. The piece is aesthetically pleasing, as its colours and collage composition created a beautiful pattern. It also gives deep insights into Chinese recent cultural history. It is by an emerging artist with great promise. The Founder also added to her private collection purchasing a print by famous contemporary Chinese artist, Cui Xiuwen. This photograph called "One Day in 2004" is a striking piece which also reflects on Chinese communist history. It gives insight into the position women in Chinese society hold, as sexualized innocents blocked from the places of power. Contemporary Chinese art is a field, which in recent times has burgeoned in market terms. While initially the collectors were westerners, there are increasing numbers of local collectors in the market. Stylistically, the artworks tended towards cynical realism in the 80's and 90's with a marked changed for younger artists towards more individualistic works that incoroporate other styles, including a great deal of abstract art particularly by women artists. Stay tuned for information about contemporary Chinese art in future articles.

Choosing where to buy your art from can be a challenge. There are a multitude of galleries in the city of Toronto, not to mention if you start buying while you travel. Research will help you to determine which galleries suit you best in terms of the style of art you most love. However, there are other factors to keep in mind. In particular, look for the following: reputable galleries who support their artists and their collectors, as well as supporting the field.

You can find out if a gallery is reputable by doing some basic research. Are they respected by artists and other dealers? Ask around. Do they attend art fairs, and if so are they placed by other reputable galleries? Do their artists' works show up in institutional exhibitions and collections? If you answered yes to all of the above, then they are a reputable gallery.

A good gallery supports their artist throughout her/his career. This means that they build a strong collector base. They place artworks in major public and private collections. They invite press to review exhibitions. They promote the artist through marketing such as solo exhibitions, artist talks and invitations to auctions and other art world events.

Finally, you want dealers who support the field as a whole. The dealers should be attending industry events. They should be up-to-date on developments in the field. They should be involved in discussions and groups, such as supporting clubs who help the arts, writing about the state of affairs, joining panel discussions, hosting events, etc. Once you see that the galleries you are interested in fill these criteria you can be comfortable to collect from them.

I want to welcome you to the artVentures website and invite you to join us as members. This new arts initiative offers personalized services to a select group of interested individuals like you to develop strong, personal, contemporary art collections. Along with our private and public gallery partners, I hope to use my experience and expertise to help you in your collecting adventures, and I encourage you to contact me personally with any questions or thoughts you may have.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the benefits of collecting contemporary art. Building an art collection can be an enriching experience; it provides enjoyment while also helping you build social, cultural and financial capital.

Being an art collector is both pleasurable and insightful. You decorate your living space with objects that spark aesthetic, emotional and intellectual stimulation. You build your network with artists, museums, galleries and businesspeople from many different professions. You support the livelihood of artists and artistic development. In turn, these new relationships and your targeted support often raise your public profile in a positive manner, resulting in further personal and professional opportunities.

Additionally, you expand your knowledge on a number of fronts, including your knowledge about art and your community. This expanded knowledge helps you in understanding your heritage and current society, which in turn can help to improve your understanding and often communications in many aspects of your life. Art gives us different reflections on our society and our humanity, which can also aid us with problem solving and creative thinking.

Moreover, developing an art collection is a financial investment. Much like owning a home; when you buy the right art the value is likely to appreciate over time, and meanwhile, you get to enjoy the tangible object along the way.You can also reap tax benefits, when you, for instance, gift a work to a local museum.

Becoming a collector is actually a very powerful position to take. Collectors help to create market trends, which in turn become canonized as historical trends. Museums quite often make new acquisitions based on these trends. Moreover, collectors, who loan and gift artworks to museums, directly determine which artworks and artists the general public sees and considers part of their heritage.

Thus, becoming a contemporary art collector enhances your life in several ways, including participating in enjoyable experiences, developing relationships and improving your public and financial standing.

I have only given a brief overview of how collecting contemporary art enriches your life. Actually experiencing this yourself can be life-changing, and I hope you will join artVentures to start your journey!

Best wishes,

Christine Platt