What We Do

What We Do

BrownArtConsulting, Inc. works with a limited number of committed individual collectors to realize for
each of them a vital, relevant and consistent collection of museum quality art, with a primary focus
on contemporary and modern international art.

How We Do It

BrownArtConsulting cultivates lasting relationships with our clients and values reciprocal discussion and learning. Through shared visits to galleries, museums, art fairs, auction houses, and ongoing
discussions, emails and image exchanges, we strive to ensure that the client’s collection evolves
into a unique and distinct(ive) expression of his or her personal art aesthetic and interests.

With less experienced collectors, we work to develop a vision and plan for the collection, based
on that client’s particular interests and artistic appreciation, architecture and display opportunities,
and budget considerations. BAC collaborates with the collector over time to pursue that vision with
commitment, focus and enthusiasm. We also enjoy working with more experienced collectors who may have established collections, perhaps more national in scope. Such collectors may be comfortable with their collection and art relationships, which existing relationships we value and support. At the same time BAC encourages these collectors to enliven and contextualize their collection with artists who may be new to the collector and whose works can extend the reach, relevance, context and significance of their collection. BrownArtConsulting believes that exciting and forward looking/thinking collections confidently bring together works by established and emerging artists in a variety of media. When done well, the addition of such targeted pieces will often re-engage the collector, revitalize the collection and enable the collector to more actively participate in the global issues of our time; artistic, social or ideological.

Objective Advice

As private consultants to our client, BrownArtConsulting, Inc. is unfettered by conflicts or third
party obligations, and therefore focuses solely on our client’s needs, objectives and aspirations.
This distinguishes BrownArtConsulting from art dealers, who have artists to represent and
inventory to sell, auctioneers with Lots to sell, and museums or institutions with mandates
to collect for their publics. To be clear, BAC is not an art gallery, does not represent any artists
or galleries, and has no inventory to sell.

Experience

BrownArtConsulting’s extensive experience in national and international art markets involves working with primary gallerists, secondary market dealers, auction houses, corporate and private collections, public museums, other advisors as well as related support services for the visual arts. Laing and Kathleen Brown also have more than 30 years experience in collecting contemporary art and in supporting the visual arts through their ongoing involvement in societies, foundations and important public galleries, often in leadership roles.  These include the positions Laing has held with the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Audain Art Museum and the National Gallery of Canada.

BrownArtConsulting, Inc. has excellent relationships, and is in regular dialogue, with a large number of the pre-eminent commercial international art galleries. This has resulted in BAC completing numerous and significant transactions on behalf of our clients with these important galleries in the art centres of the world, including New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Zurich.

Kathleen and Laing also recognize that art fairs offer opportunities that are efficient in terms of both time and geography. Accordingly, over the past fifteen years, we have regularly attended the major art fairs including Art Basel (Switzerland and Miami), Frieze (London, New York and Los Angeles), FIAC (Paris) and the Armory Show, ADAA and TEFAF (all in New York), as well as the Venice Biennale, Documenta and Skulptur Projectte Münster. In our experience, art fairs provide an excellent way to rendezvous with hundreds of the leading galleries as well as directors, curators, critics, artists and collectors from around the world. All of this occurs in an exciting setting, during a few intense but truly exhilarating days. Additionally, we increase our effectiveness at art fairs by communicating with these leading galleries prior to the opening of the art fair to determine the particular special artworks they will be presenting, as an “early warning system” for our clients.

We also keep current with respect to artworks that become available through the major auction houses, primarily in New York and London (including private sales). We have fostered excellent relationships with auction house specialists and have enjoyed successful bidding experiences.

All of our experience ensures that BAC is able to provide access for our clients/collectors to excellent, targeted works by leading international contemporary artists and all of our knowledge and experience is enthusiastically deployed for the benefit or our clients/collectors.

Professionalism

In providing services to our client/collector, integrity, mutual trust and confidentiality are
paramount. BrownArtConsulting, Inc. ensures that all transactions are completed in a
manner that is transparent to the client and all involved.

Laing and Kathleen are passionate about sharing the energy and potential of today’s art
worlds with our valued clients (and friends) through open, fun and long term relationships.

Chelsea, NYC