The Truth Behind Starting Your Collection with Art Advisor Megan Paterson

Hi everyone and welcome back to the Art-O-Log. Today I'm in Vancouver, british Columbia, for Art Vancouver, and I'm so excited to share this episode because it's all about art consultation. Art consultants play a very crucial role in the ecosystem of the art world, especially at an art fair. My guest today is Megan Patterson, founder of Aurelia Art Consulting. Patterson spent 14 years immersed in the commercial gallery world, building deep knowledge and an extensive network in the industry. Along the way, she noticed that many people were eager to buy art but felt held back by not knowing where to start. Determined to change that, patterson became passionate about breaking down barriers and making the art world accessible to all. As an art consultant, her mission is to empower clients with the confidence and support they need to engage in the art market. I hope you enjoy today's episode because Megan gives such great insight as to what it means to be an art consultant working today. So, without further ado, megan, welcome to the Art-O-Log.

Hi Madison, Thank you so much for having me.

What are some of your earliest memories of art?

So my earliest memories, I think, are just making art. I loved making art, and then my mom always talked about how, when I was a little kid, when I talked about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said I wanted to be an artist and I wanted to be rich.

So how did you pivot from wanting to be an artist to wanting to work in the commercial side of things?

I think as I got older, I think maybe wanting to be rich took over wanting to be an artist.

But as I got older I lost interest in creating art, but I always stayed really interested in art.

What were some of your first steps into that commercial art world would have like always dreamt of working in an art gallery. It was definitely my passion, what I wanted and stuff like that. And then when it came time to go to college, I had to do it on loans and all that sort of stuff. So I was thinking more practically about it, like ideally I would have done an art history degree, but it just seemed like it would be hard to actually get a job in art afterwards with that. So I did a graphic design degree and then I first started working in the business. After I graduated I spent some time just taking a little bit of a break before I entered the real world and I was just bartending and my sister was friends with the owners of a commercial gallery and so they were looking for an assistant and I was looking for a real job, and so my sister put that all together and connected me with him.

What were some lessons that?

you learned working in a gallery for 14 years, over 14 years. Obviously so much, and I think, like the obvious ones are so much about art, about business, about leadership.

no-transcript where I am now, what were some ways during your time at the gallery that you learned to trust yourself. What were some moments that you were realizing that you were maturing as an individual working in the art world?

I think I just I started to have my own ideas about how I wanted to do things. I think that part of not having that background in art also gave me a different perspective of things, and so maybe I didn't always want to do things the traditional way and I saw ways that the world was changing and new opportunities and ways to do things and I just really wanted to do that.

Were you at the same gallery or was it different galleries over that period? I?

was at the same gallery for 14 years. Yeah, different positions. I started off as the assistant there and then ended off as the manager there.

That's awesome. How long did that take for you To?

become the manager. Yeah, or I can't really remember, but maybe it was about like four years and I became the manager.

But don't write that in stone so from that, what made you want to start working as an art?

consultant I it was a mix of things. I knew that I needed a new challenge. I knew that I had plateaued where I was at and I wanted something new. I had started taking a lot of business courses on my own and just classes, just wanting to learn and explore new things. I realized that there was a lot of people who wanted to engage with the art market and buy art that literally just didn't know how and they didn't have anybody to ask or anything like that, and so something that I started to do on my own time was I started developing and writing an online course simply about how to buy art, and so that was happening. I knew that I wanted something new.

As I was talking to people in the industry about finding something new, they kept telling me that ownership I had to own my own business. That was really the next logical step for me, and it was somebody like a friend of mine that I was talking to that suggested being a consultant. I didn't have the capital to start a gallery or an auction house or anything like that, and I also, knowing the ways that the industry is changing, and I also knowing the ways that the industry is changing I wanted to be nimble and so, like being a consultant, like I'm doing similar stuff to what I was doing at the gallery I'm buying, I'm selling art, I'm helping people connect with it. But I'm just me, I'm just, it's all very flexible, it's all very nimble. I can pivot tomorrow if I need to, and that's what all led me to doing it tomorrow if I need to, and that's what all led me to doing it.

What is an art consultant for people who may not know what an art consultant does?

Yeah, I think the simplest way to put it is just I help people buy and sell art.

So how did you start your own business as an art consultant and can you tell me more about Aurelia?

So I feel like, when I look back, like starting it, like I just started it, like I went to AMA to register my business and it cost $25 and took 10 minutes, and they're like you're a business owner now, and I was like, are you sure? Minutes. And they're like, okay, you're a business owner now and I was, are you sure? But I'm sure that I think there was a lot more that went into it, but that's what it feels like. I just did it and then I built a website and here we are.

But, aurelia, it's really founded on this obsession that I have with helping people connect with the art world, I think again because I didn't come up in that world and so I was always able to look at it as an outsider. And I can see these other people who were outside of the art world, who didn't have families who showed them like how to be in a gallery or how to buy an auction and stuff like that and how to collect art. So, yeah, the business is all about like finding those people and breaking down the barriers that hold people back from connecting with art and engaging in the market.

What's changed for you since you became a business owner as well as an art consultant?

Ultimately, the freedom that I have now. I love running my own schedule. I'm very disciplined and motivated, so working on my own terms and my own time is actually the best way for me to be productive, because I get a lot done. I think now, too, instead of scrolling Instagram while I'm watching TV in the evenings, I'm creating content while I watch TV in the evenings.

Can you speak to the importance of creating content as a business owner?

Yeah, I think it's big. That was one thing that they really stressed when I was doing the business courses, when I was looking for something new in my life. It's really the way that millennials and Gen Z are engaging with the world. And that was sort of another thing that I noticed when I was at the gallery is that a lot of my friends from outside of the art world, as we were getting to a certain age like they weren't previously part of the art world or interested in art, but they got to a certain age where they wanted to start to get involved. They had a little bit more money to spend on art and it was interesting for them and I realized that there wasn't really anybody out there really targeting millennials in the way that millennials engage with the world.

Yeah, speaking of content, how do you attract clients? Is that one of the ways that you pick up business? What are the avenues that you pick up new clients as a business owner?

Mainly it's through my network and networking Content. I think it's starting to work, but so far it's mainly been through my network, friends, connections and all that sort of stuff. I'm out all the time connecting with people.

Yeah, do you have any tips for people who might be a little nervous to start networking?

You just have to do it. I am by nature very shy and you can learn to be confident and you can learn to be outgoing. I promise I used to. When I was 18, I dated this guy and he was like 10 years older than I was and I thought he was very cool and we'd go to parties together and I wouldn't say a single word for like hours at the party because I was so shy. So you just have to do it, and the more you do it, the easier it gets no-transcript.

Oh, because I'm very fresh into this. I just started the business in November. So far, like it's all been pretty straightforward, thank God. But one thing that I was really proud of was I had somebody hire me. Her childhood best friend's mom had a print in her house that she always loved and remembered and the client she's now in her forties and so she hired me to try to track down this very obscure artist who created this print. To try to find her a print, and I was able to. Through my connections I found the artist obituary. She was part of some clubs. I reached out to the clubs that she was part of and eventually tracked down her daughter who owned the original painting for the print that my client was looking for. So I was very proud to do that.

Have you noticed any trends among young collectors? What are they looking for?

Oh, that's a good question. Most of my collectors, to be honest, are, I guess, like, maybe young for collectors, but they're about my age. I think that people now are looking for voices that resonate more with their own experience, rather than the trends of big names but, then also, yeah, yeah, I think that people really want to connect with, like people similar to them, and voices and stories that are similar to theirs.

Yeah, when should someone start if they want to begin collecting?

I think that, to start, just figure out what you like. If you're starting right from scratch, just figure out what you like and don't worry about what you're supposed to like or what other people think you would like. I think that collecting art and buying art like the ultimate investment is in your own happiness and the joy it's going to bring you and what it's going to give to your life when you're looking at an object that you love and resonate with every single day. So I think just look as much as you possibly can. Start a folder on your phone, anything that catches your eye, because there's art everywhere. Snap a picture of it and then you'll start to see trends and similarities and what you like. And then, when you're talking to professionals, you go to a gallery or an art consultant or something like that. Once they have, if they can have a look at that, then they can gauge pretty quickly where to look for you and how to help you.

Yeah, I think that's great advice. Is there anything that you wish more people knew? Going into art collecting?

I wish that people knew that not everything holds value. I've seen so many people so disappointed with things that, like they bought at the Calgary Stampede that they go to sell down the road and they spent thousands of dollars on it and it's worth nothing. So I wish they knew that. I don't think that there's like I said I always believe, just buy what you like and what's going to make you happy on your wall so you don't necessarily have to worry about like investing and things like making money or keeping money or anything like that. But I just wish that I didn't have to see that disappointment and so the people knew that not everything is going to get them big gains.

Yeah, we spoke a little bit earlier about the art world changing and new ways that things are being done, and with more auction houses incorporating digital strategies like auto bidding, what's the benefit of having, say, a consultant bid for you at an auction?

I see auto bidding. It's like putting all your cards on the table right up front, and so I think, if you want to be a little bit more strategic, I believe it's better to wait the last minute.

And you're based in Calgary. I'm curious as to how the art world there is different from the rest of Canada.

I think Calgary's in a really cool cultural moment right now. When I was in my 20s, I was always kind of part of the art and music scene and everybody who wanted to make a name for themselves or to have any success in the arts left the city. A name for themselves or to have any success in the arts left the city. And then over the last few years, all these people have started staying, coming back, and we're actually having an influx of new people moving to Calgary too. The quality of art and the big names that we have in art who are living and producing in Calgary right now is really changing, along with the architecture, like they're redoing all these major institutions with these beautiful buildings. Calgary really experiencing a lot of energy and creativity right now. It's really cool, and I think that the perception of that hasn't caught up with the truth of it.

What have been some career highlights for you.

I'd say that I think starting this business has obviously been a huge highlight for me. It's really cool to create something and see it grow, and I think one of the biggest things is the people that I've connected with. I'm very much a people person. I'm a relationships person. I've connected with I'm very much a people person. I'm a relationships person. I just live and die for a good conversation and cool people. So that's been huge. I love, love, love. So many of the people that I've been able to connect with. Another highlight for me, I think, is the support seeing how supportive the community is and the support that I've received creating my own business. I've been so touched by that. It's really meant the world to me. So those are all very big highlights.

What have been some harder moments in your career and how did you overcome them?

I have, from the day I started to today, suffered from extreme, relentless imposter syndrome, and the way to deal with it is just keep going and certain things get a little bit better and then every time you reach a new challenge or a new level or anything like that, like it just sets in again. But just keep moving and compartmentalize.

What advice would you have for someone looking to be an art consultant?

I would just say just keep the focus on adding value to people's lives and always over deliver.

Do you have any advice specifically for people looking to open their own art related business?

Do you have any advice specifically for people looking to open their own art-related business? That's a really good question. Just go for it. Just go for it. I think that. Yeah, that's something I wish that. Yeah, I'm just glad I just went for it. Just close your eyes and take the leap. If you know that's the right path for you, then just do it.

Thanks so much for chatting with me, Megan. This has been such a great conversation.

Thanks Madison.

This was awesome. Where can people find Aurelia if they're looking for it?

I'm on Instagram and TikTok at Aurelia Fine Art. I have a website also, aurelia Fine Art, and those are the places. All right, thanks so much.