What Your Art Collection Can Teach You About Your Legacy

It was my very first year teaching the Mastery Program. I had 12 artists who agreed to be my first guinea pigs. I had been teaching for years, but this was the first group I would spend an entire year with each week watching them grow and develop. I was with them during the greatest frustrations, when they felt like they were losing control, and I was there when they felt the exhilaration of finding their freedom. I helped them get over perfectionism and the many fears and self-doubts they experienced in their growth towards becoming professional artists.

Talisa was very determined. Her dream of being a full-time professional artist has been with her even since she was a child. She found tremendous inspiration from her grandmother, and the dream was incredibly precious. She felt a lot of pressure to succeed and get it right. Often, while she was painting, she would get stuck and unable to move forward. I would come along and add a couple of brushstrokes and give her guidance until she could move forward again. She always painted very tentatively and cautiously, worried about messing up her painting.

But then we got to the mark making lesson in mixed media. Once Talisa got a big urban marker in her hand, she came alive. Although it was more than permanent, and each mark was impossible to remove or cover up, she lost her sense of carefulness and abandoned herself into the mark. She moved her hands all over the canvas, leaving lines, script, dashes, dots, and X’s. She covered the canvas with bold, daring marks. Talisa found herself. I could feel her joy and liberty as she created in complete confidence. Talisa found a piece of her style and knew that she would leave her mark on the world.

The painting became a self-portrait of sorts. She pulled a woman’s image from these marks and brought her forward. This was an incredible breakthrough. I asked Talisa if she would sell the piece to me. She was overjoyed at the request, and we made the exchange. I gave her money, and she gave me her breakthrough piece. Over the years, I have found that I am attracted to collecting artists’ breakthrough pieces, and it is difficult for me to let go of my own breakthrough pieces. I have a nice collection of breakthrough art.

I have realized that each art collector has their own taste, affinity, and even a subconscious devotion to a certain type of art. Collectors collect intent and themes from artists. Dimitra buys art that is an expression of all the things she loves: horses, flowers, animals, and women who have walked out of a fairytale. As you look around her house at her collection of art she has purchased, you see Dimitra’s world.

 Our Art and Our Story

What an incredible thought that we can partly be known for the art we collected. I know that my dad collects paintings of sailboats. These sailboats keep his dream of living on a boat on a Greek island alive. His future generations can experience the sense of adventure and blissful expanse that is carried in his collection and know his dream through his art collection. His dream and commitment to it add more voice and emotion to his collection of paintings. They are no longer boring, typical sailboat paintings. They are an image of my dad’s heart and quiet yearning for adventure.

Not only does the art we collect speak to us our whole lives and live on our walls whispering mysteries about ourselves and our destiny—our art collection will outlive us. The historic record that we owned and lived with and were affected by this specific piece of art tells a whole story unto itself.

Imagine buying a piece of art that is a majestic and powerful depiction of a beautiful horse. Then you find out this painting was owned by a retired polo player because it reminded him of his best horse who always came through for him. This legacy just adds to the life of this painting as its story continues. Art is continually transferred, resold, and passed on; and the ones who live and own the pieces are a part of the story.

The power of art reaches into the generations. Because art outlives the artist and the collector, often being willed as assets, our art collections will affect future generations who may not ever know us.

 Investing in the Future

Art gains value over time and can build wealth for our children and our children’s children. Art can be an investment, especially when the artist is serious and dedicated to their career, working diligently to build value in their art and increasing prices over time.

Art collectors should strive to remain in a relationship with the artists they collect and keep in touch over the years. Collectors should keep track and hold on to the certificates of sale to prove the investment in the future. Collectors should care for their art to be sure it lasts well into the future.

Our art collection is not just something we hang on our walls. It is a bridge between the past, present, and future. Like Talisa’s piece, every bold mark she made at that moment will echo throughout time. Every time I look at her painting, I think back to her joy and liberty as she created in complete confidence. I am reminded of her breakthrough. I even feel like touching her breakthrough emboldens me for my own.

The Art of Building Legacy

The art we choose to bring into our lives speaks volumes about who we are, what we value, and the dreams we hold dear. This is why I love and collect breakthrough pieces. When I share the stories about the breakthrough pieces I collect, I am giving others a piece of the heart and legacy that went into every mark and every brushstroke.

When we invest in art, we are not only supporting the artist's journey but also immortalizing their vision, their message, and the story they’ve woven into every brushstroke. We give these pieces the chance to live beyond their creators and become part of something much larger than ourselves.

We are ensuring that the artist’s legacy lives on, empowering their work to speak into future generations and the stories that continue to shape lives long after they are gone. Investing in art guarantees the cultural significance of art in the future. It is a declaration that we value beauty and a testament to our connection to the world.

This is the power of art. It doesn’t just live in the present moment; it speaks across time, immortalizing both the artist and the collector. Art connects us to the past and breathes life into the future.

What patterns do you see in your own art collection?

Share your thoughts in the comments below!