Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Kalpakian.
Hi Monica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was young I studied art but my imagination was better than what my hands delivered, I would go to museums and painters studios to chat and enjoy the process, ended up helping them, buying their works, and becoming an art collector for 30 years. Served in museum boards, mainly Tate Modern, in London, buying art for 18 years, and other museums in Miami. Traveled to meet artists in their studios, commissioned works, and made many friends along the way.
I would walk it through with friends while buying and introducing them to galleries and artist is liked , which eventually led to tell them what to buy, and before I realized a business was born. I was doing all the work for free, putting galleries together and handlers with friends and realized it was a full-time job, so I opened a company and passionately doing the same. I enjoy every aspect of it, I have been a client, I know what a client needs.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Buying great art has many layers. It has to speak to one’s truth and story. Many artists will evaluate, but its not true for all of them. Whenever someone approaches me to make money from the art, I am faced with a dilemma, firstly because I know they are not buying for the love of it, but as an asset class, and it’s hard for me to reach to a gallery or artist to tell this…
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I research, travel to find art, talk to artists in their studios, go to openings in any city, and support artists by buying their work or placing it in great homes.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Work with integrity. You will be surprised how in some years, every deal you make becomes transparent. There are no secrets.
Contact Info:
- Email: monica@mkartvising.com
- Website: mkartvising.com
- Instagram: monicakalpakian
- Facebook: monicakalpakian
- Twitter: monicakalpakian
