What is a Collector Preview, and how do I sign up for one?
- Every month, Harman Projects sends out an advance collector's preview for our newest exhibitions.
- This preview contains an early look at available works along with pricing and availability.
- People who inquire for a preview typically receive a first chance to purchase original works from our shows before the exhibition opens to the general public.
- To request a Collector's Preview for a specific upcoming show or artist, simply email the gallery at info@harmanprojects.com and they'll forward you along to the appropriate gallery director.
How do Collector's Previews work? Are they first-come, first-served?
- Once you receive your Collector's Preview please email the gallery with your requests. We always recommend that you contact us via email as that is the most reliable form of communication. IG DMs and phone calls are easily missed, please remember that our team spans multiple cities and multiple time zones.
- After we receive your request we will note your entry and will do our best to accommodate you. Please be mindful that we often have multiple clients interested in the same piece and it is impossible to accommodate every collector, though we will always do our best.
- Works are typically placed during the preview period, before an exhibition opens to the public, so please be communicative early and responsive quickly!
- We do not do "first-come, first-served" when placing works for a show. This is in consideration of our international collectors and the fact that many collectors cannot reply instantaneously to a preview due to time zone differences and work/personal obligations.
So, how do you decide where and how works are placed?
Placing works in the best homes and collections is always our priority. When making these decisions, we take into account several factors including:
- What is our history with the collector and have they been supportive of our gallery in the past?
- What other works are in a person's collection already?
- Does a collector own too many or too few works by a particular artist? How diverse is their collection?
- Has the collector missed out on works by this artist in the past and have they been waiting a long time for a work by a specific artist?
- Is the collector looking to donate works to a public institution such as a museum or public arts center?
What is the best way to ensure I can get work from a particular artist?
There are few things you can do to help your chances of getting a piece by a specific artist, especially one in high demand:
- Be supportive of the gallery as best as you can.
- Get in touch as early as possible and please be patient.
- Once a preview is sent out, it's always recommended that you send us a list of at least three works that you're interested in, especially for popular shows. If you only want one piece, and that piece is hotly contested, your odds of acquiring something will be lower.
- When responding to a preview, please let us know a direct phone number to reach you, or please be as responsive to our emails as possible. Often, we can only hold work for a short amount of time, especially if there are other collectors inquiring, so being accessible and communicative goes a long way!
- We love building personal relationships with our collectors and look forward to getting to know who are collectors are and what it is they collect.
- Visiting our gallery in person, getting to know our gallery director, or saying 'hi' to us at an art fair or event is a great start. We want collecting to be as rewarding and personal as possible, so let's get to know each other!
Are prints or limited editions made available in a Collector's Preview?
- It's very rare that we'll offer limited editions to our preview list, for the most part our previews focus only on original works. If you are interested in an upcoming print, please sign up for our general email list and follow us on social media for details on upcoming releases.
I've missed out on a piece by my favorite artist, what's next?
- First of all, our apologies if you've been unable to purchase a work from one of our shows. Since original works are unique it is often impossible to accommodate every interested collector.
- Please let us know that you'd like to continue being kept updated and that your interest in that artist remains. Most of our artists work with us regularly, so the odds are very good that we'll have a new show or body of work ready for you down the road.
- Build your relationship with us! By supporting our gallery you help us keep our programming alive and allow us to keep putting on great art shows. Whether that's by picking up new works regularly, attending our events in person, or simply showing us some love, anything you can do to support us will simply allow us to help support you back.
- Be patient! Art collecting is an incredibly rewarding hobby and the best collectors know that sometimes it can take months, or even years, to find just the right piece by a particular artist. We're in it for the long haul, and hopefully so are you, so let's work together for many years to come!
March 1, 2022