Investing in Connection {Ivester Contemporary}
The Business of Art
Words Janine Stankus, Photos Baptiste Despois
Investing in art isn’t about buying pieces just because you think they’ll appreciate, according to painter and gallerist Kevin Ivester. It’s about actual appreciation, which can take many forms: showing up, donating, and supporting artists and their message. “I don’t think you should collect artworks to flip them in the future,” Kevin asserts. “You should collect artworks that you love and that really speak to you.”
Kevin Ivester made a significant investment of his own when he opened Ivester Contemporary in Canopy Austin. He was originally L.A.-bound from Boston when a stopover in Austin altered his course. There’s something special in the Austin art scene. Noting the undersaturation of galleries compared to art world megaliths like New York and L.A., he explains, “I felt like I could actually provide a service—I could actually help.”
He was also attracted to the nebulous nature of Austin’s visual identity. “It’s different from the boats, bays, and buoys of Boston’s art world,” he points out. “Austin’s aesthetic just felt wide open. I’m not sure what it is; it’s exciting for me to be a part of that conversation as we sculpt what Austin is known for.”
The Ivester Gallery opened in September 2020, mid-pandemic. Kevin was able to find affordable space at the time and slowly, yet safely, built his presence within the community. It was a dream realized for Kevin, whose passion for advocating for artists had propelled him through a myriad of jobs in the art industry. Ivester Contemporary represents emerging, Texas-connected artists, either locals or those with roots here, with the goal of connecting them to their dream opportunities.
When selecting artists for the gallery, Kevin looks for authenticity above all. “Beauty and quality are important, but I think of them as these portals into what the artist is really trying to communicate,” he explains. He’s not interested in art that sits pretty in the background. “I want to see work and interact with work that is powerful enough to make people question and look deeper.”
That’s what Kevin enjoys most about being a gallerist: helping others connect to the artists’ message. “It’s a creative process to collect artwork—you can tell your own story through collecting.” Often the first thing he asks clients is what works they have already and what do they love about those pieces. It helps him get a sense of what resonates with them.
Kevin doesn’t hesitate to refer clients to another gallery, or an artist he doesn’t represent, when trying to connect people with the right works of art. He is invested in the prosperity of the community as a whole and making sure Texas fine art has a place on the global map. ”We’re definitely at a stage in Austin where all ships rise together,” he asserts. “We’re trying to show people that this is a town full of amazing artists, and we have a lot of room to grow into that.”
An art for arts space
Ivester Contemporary boasts a dedicated Project Space for smaller showcases of more experimental works that Kevin believes should be seen and mostly aren’t for sale. “I do try to maintain my own genuine perspective of why art is important and not fall into the traps of it being just about money,” he says.
Gaining perspectives
When asked what he is drawn to in an artist, Kevin admits that he tends to be interested in artists who have different backgrounds than himself. “The thing that I love about art more than anything,” he says, “is that it is a way to communicate with and learn from each other. It’s a way that we can learn about ourselves…and then learn about the world.”
Contact:
916 Springdale Rd., Bldg. 2, Ste. 107
ivestercontemporary.com
@ivester_contemporary
