The Art of Collecting

by Shelly Abreu - Not many people walk into an art gallery with the intention of buying a piece of art based solely on economics. Rather art is purchased for other reasons such as beauty, passion for collecting, and prestige. But regardless of the motivation for buying art, most people hope that their art will appreciate in value. So how does one know if a piece of art is a good investment? A few art gallery owners on Nantucket offer their own advice for navigating the world of investing in art.

We Have Been Here Before

Finding creative inspiration in our past and our present. By Kate Splaine. I thought I was so clever asking a friend who not only knows Nantucket history but also collects Nantucket art and antiques for insight into the island during the Great Depression. I expected him to present me with a tidy tale of the fabled Nantucket Arts Colony and the triumph of art over bleak reality—a story that I could plagiarize in these pages to delightful effect.

My Evil Twin Blanch

As I writer I spend a lot of time wrestling with my voice. As most writers will tell you, it takes effort to find one's voice, hold on to it, and capture it on the page. For this reason I use the backspace key a lot! And I've spent many moments at the keyboard in utter frustration. I'm also a singer. For most of my life, my singing voice has come much more naturally than my writing voice. Perhaps this is because I have less control over the final outcome. Sure I can shape my singing voice using many techniques, much in the same way that I shape my writing. But ultimately, the innate sound of my voice cannot be altered. So when I started taking voice lessons, it was a real surprise when I discovered a voice I never knew I had.

Greater Light

The summer of 1960, when I was living with a group of new friends in a big old house on Fayette Street and waiting on tables in The Woodbox , one of the most memorable and profound experiences of that season was an afternoon walk I took to explore some of the side streets of Nantucket Proper, as we called Town. I was accompanied that day by the younger sister of one of my housemates, a seventeen-year old who was already showing promise as a serious artist.