1230 PARK AVENUE #15A
NEW YORK, NY 10128
1-(212)-289 2621
First we see the mountain in the painting;
Then we see the painting in the mountain.
- Ancient Chinese proverb
The world is increasingly dominated by visual imagery. Your surroundings define who you are. If you desire fine art to be part of that environment, you are part of a select group.
Why is an art collection important?
Ever felt at a loss in the face of a decision? Walk into a gallery, contemplate the art on display. Suddenly, the decision you found so hard to make is resolved in a way no rational thinking could ever have done. This has happened to people I know. It could happen to you while contemplating the works displayed on your own walls.
Why use a personal curator?
You need a collection constituted with taste and discrimination. The painting or sculpture you love today may eventually lose value, both for you, personally, and in terms of market placement. This is where the personal curator comes in, guiding you in the acquisition of art that enhances your character and stimulates your senses. Your collection should provide both an outlet from the world as well as a means of engaging with it. I can help you navigate through the mists of self-identification while building a reasonably healthy investment.
How is the cost determined?
You may choose between an hourly rate or a small percentage of the art you decide to acquire.
What are my qualifications?
I received formal education at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, a Tufts University affiliate. I've lived and worked in New York City and abroad for most of my life, as a professor of art and a practicing artist, exhibiting my work world-wide. I have intimate familiarity with art, artists, dealers and collectors.
What is my approach?
My principle is always the same. I never recommend art that I do not personally value. I seek to understand you as a unique individual, to define and refine your personal tastes and to lead you toward sound selections. I don't want to guide you to find art you want to sell, but that you want to keep because you love it. However, should you need to liquidate, a fair compensation must be obtainable. There are many resources available for such determinations.
How does it work?
At our first meeting I will present a set of images to discover where your tastes and interests lie, which is the beginning of a gradual process that may involve gallery and studio visits and introductions to artists. The recommendations I make are based on your responses to whatever we consider together. The ultimate decisions are yours, of course.
Above all, collecting art should be an enjoyable experience. We will learn and create together. Should you wish to proceed, please contact me at the above address, phone number, or send me an e-mail.
SOME QUOTES
"Artists make great exhibition curators. They have expert eyes, a personal stake in the game and contacts with all kinds of other artists, including those who ride under the establishment radar."
Holland Carter, The New York Times. 9 August, 2007
"Barbara Kerstetter is one of the most dynamic artists I have ever encountered. As a painter she is equally crafty and meaningful in her figurative work as she is in her abstract style. Her work is emotional, capricious and beautiful, and evokes the spectator in a variety of ways. Constantly honest and driven - she is ever so inquisitive, open-minded, and ready to interpret the immediate world around her. She is a true artist with an individual vision - never afraid of the many sacrifices which often escort such a life. She is also blessed with an unusual streak of generosity for other peers in the arts - following their work and output, and providing them with positive feedback and advice. Barbara Kerstetter is a genuine 'giver' in an era where 'taking' is the more popular characteristic amongst struggling artists. She wisely understands that art must constantly reach out via dialogue and presentation. Her contribution to the community in which she lives and creates is totally admirable."
Ronn Yedidia, composer & pianist