A New Way to Live with Art
Learning to Curate Spaces with the Help of CoCollect
Words by Janine Stankus Portrait by Mackenzie Smith Kelley
If your walls could talk, what would you want them to say? How do you choose to fill those big blank canvases that surround you every day? What are the implications of a print, some photographs, a few knicknacks? Consider how your space would change with, say, a Warhol, Picasso, or perhaps a work from some stellar local artist on display. Keli Hogsett, founder of CoCollect, challenges you to find out.
CoCollect is a fine art membership service whose goal is to allow more people to live with high quality original artwork. Members gain access to an ever-expanding collection of museum quality work that they can enjoy within their spaces and also have the option to keep, buy, or swap at the end of the year.
“For every household in the U.S. (of similar average income) that buys fine art, there are 37 households that do not,” Keli reports. “If you think about it, art is one of the last things we have to commit to,” she muses. “We buy a couch thinking ‘Okay, I’ll replace this in 10 years.’ [Art] is one of those decisions that feels like a much bigger commitment.”
It’s a decision that Keli herself—a former art student and creative director—struggled with when she and her husband purchased their home in Austin. She found herself wishing she could learn more about the art or an artist whom she liked before making a final selection. An idea sparked—a way to remove common barriers that prevent people from investing in art: cost, knowledge, commitment. “It was just like this little fire that kept growing and growing,” she says. “So I took that as a sign—just do it.” Thus, CoCollect was born.
Through CoCollect, members get an initial consultation with trained curators and professionals who educate clients about the collection and help them choose their works. Two weeks later, professional art handlers are dispatched to install the selections. Members also get a once-a-week informational text about their chosen works and also have access to in-depth background information via the CoCollect website.
Built in partnership with museums and private collectors, the collection currently boasts over 450 works. It includes renowned artists like Robert Rauchenberg, Alexander Calder, Stanley Whitney, Richard Serra, and Agnes Martin. It also features well-known and emerging Texas-based artists like Adrian Armstrong, Cruz Ortiz, Denise Prince, Paloma Mayorga, and Donald Judd, who founded the Chinati Foundation in Marfa.
As an Austin native herself, Keli was adamant about creating a platform for local artists. “The city’s seen so much growth…I just want to make sure that we support the amazing talent that’s here.” Keli plans to expand CoCollect outside of Austin and hopes to tap into local talent in other cities as well. Keli affirms, “Supporting where we are was just as important to us as giving members the opportunity to live with something like a Warhol or a Picasso.”
Three Tiers for Art!
CoCollect offers three different membership tiers: Local, Collector, and Patron, each tier offering different levels of access. For example, Patron members have access to the coveted blue-chip works, while someone more interested in discovering local art could opt for the Local membership.
Creative Gifting
Do you know just the person who would love a CoCollect membership? Starting in December, you’ll be able to gift a $250 professional in-home consultation—with no strings attached. Continuing with a membership is up to the giftee.
Contact:
cocollect.art
info@cocollect.art
@cocollect.art
