Packages: How to Buy Art

Chris Milhausen of West Town’s CMM Framing, which caters to some of the city’s most prominent galleries, collectors, and artists, offers a primer on his craft by explaining how he handled four very different works.

Summer, William Conger, 2017. courtesy Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago. “Buy an artist who is out of fashion,” suggests Gary Metzner of Sotheby’s. More specifically, look for those who are working in a trending genre but have fallen out of the spotlight—for example, William Conger and Susanne Doremus, forerunners by several decades of the young abstract … Read more

Plunge by Kerry James Marshall Photo: © 2016 Christie’s Images Limited Everyone wants to own artwork that appreciates in value, but the chances of discovering the next Basquiat are slim. So relax and buy something you want to look at for a lifetime. “I don’t care if the artist’s market is hot,” says Dan Berger, … Read more

A gallery’s take—typically 50 percent—inflates prices. Here are four critically praised independent Chicago artists who will sell directly to you.

Expo Chicago, the five-day global art extravaganza on Navy Pier, starts September 13. There is too much to take in. Here’s a day’s itinerary that hits the most anticipated high points and will give you a sense of the trends driving the market.

Opening Reception for Black Light and Make Room Photo: Photo: Gallery 400/Facebook A handful of galleries show promising artists but don’t represent them, meaning there’s no commission added into the price of the works. ACRE, in Pilsen, has curated group shows with up-and-comers such as painter Carris Adams and experimental artist Sofia Córdova. 1345 W. … Read more

Restaurants, cafés, and bars have become legitimate springboards for emerging artists—and good places to buy their work at attractive prices.

Many first-time buyers are taken aback by the prices, even for pieces from emerging artists who are not in great demand. But making art costs money. This expense breakdown for a recent work by Chicago sculptor Alex Chitty puts things in perspective.

You can’t be an expert on everything. So rooting yourself chiefly in a single style is a smart way to begin collecting. To get you started, here are some artists doing bold work in major genres.