Symposium to Attract Art Collectors

“The Discerning Eye: An Art Collector’s Symposium” gathers art critics, dealers and collectors from across the country for an all-day educational event at the Westmont Museum of Art on Saturday, March 12. The event is open to the public and offers practical insight for both novice and experienced art collectors. The symposium, which begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at 4:30 p.m., will be held in Porter Theatre adjacent to the Adams Center for the Visual Arts. Event tickets are $100 and include museum membership ($50 for current members), and are available by calling (805) 565-6162 (map).

Gregory S. Hedberg, director of European paintings and sculpture at Hirschl and Adler Galleries, New York, will open the day with a talk about collecting European art. After a distinguished museum career at The Frick Collection, New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minnesota, and the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Conn., Hedberg founded and was the first director of the The New York Academy of Art. Since joining Hirschl and Adler Galleries in 1992, he has organized several exhibitions and now lectures regularly around the country.

Debra Force, president of Debra Force Fine Art, New York, will speak on collecting American art. Debra Force Fine Art, established by Force in 1999, is a professional gallery focused on American paintings, drawings and sculpture from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Force offers extensive experience working with new and mature collectors in understanding the art market and developing their collections, and she is also a regularly featured appraiser on “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS.

Alice Levi Duncan, director of Gerald Peters Gallery, New York, will round out the morning with a talk on collecting sculpture. Prior to joining Gerald Peters, Duncan worked at Christie’s in New York as the director of the European and American Sculpture Department. She has worked on appraisals for museums, including The Art Institute of Chicago and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and established herself as a leading expert in the field of sculpture.

Two panel discussions in the afternoon will explore collecting strategies in depth with seasoned collectors and gallerists. On the topic of “Collecting Contemporary Art,” guests will hear from local architect and art collector Barry A. Berkus; and Carolyn Glasoe, founder of DEE/GLASOE Gallery in Chelsea; and Miki Garcia, executive director of the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum. A panel on “Strategies for Collecting Art” will look at innovative ways to start or build an art collection, featuring Dane Goodman, director of Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College; Keith Puccinelli, artist and art collector; and Hannah Hayden, director of the photography department at Bloomsbury Auctions, New York. Discussions will be moderated by Westmont Museum of Art Director Judy L. Larson.

The event, which includes lunch, ends with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Adams Center for the Visual Arts.

This symposium is sponsored by generous gifts from Vogelzang and Associates Inc. and from Neunebel Barrantes Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. The event culminates an 18-month process of researching and cataloging Westmont’s permanent collection, funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Highlights of the Museum’s holdings are showcased in a concurrent exhibition, “Selections from the Permanent Collection: Celebrating 25 Years,” on display Feb. 17 through April 2. Museum hours are weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.