Rachel Cole Advisory

Okay, well welcome to the Psychitect is In. Today we have the pleasure of talking with Rachel Cole of Rachel Cole Advisory. I had met Rachel… gosh, like we were just talking about during the pandemic, the height of the pandemic, and I was so inspired by her art advisory work. She’s really just a very hot advisor in the art market.

And I just really wanted to get a chance to interview Rachel today around what art advisory is about how. Can access an art advisor and how art really enriches our lives as we do in our homes and office spaces and what psychitecture and, and what, how we feel in space. So it’s a really great pleasure to talk to you, Rachel.

Welcome.

Thank you so much for having me, Rachel. I’m so happy we’re finally doing this couple years later, but I’m so excited to speak with you. I mean, you were just such a wonderful person and such a joy to speak to and seeing how our worlds can collide, whether it’s art, architecture, interiors I’m just really excited to see what, we’ll, what we’ll chat about.

Amen. Okay, well let’s, yeah, let’s start off by talking about what, what is the art market like right now in terms of you’re in New York, I’m in LA. And your advisory, maybe just even give us a background as to how you got into the work you’re doing. Yeah. Because you work with a lot of emerging artists too, right?

A lot of contemporary.

Yes. So I sell contemporary art and I focus in minority artists. And this is something that I’ve been developing in my art advisory practice for the past handful of years. But before that, I worked at an art gallery. I did my rounds in New York City, working at an auction house, working at a museum.

Of course these were internships, but you were really able to get a hands-on experience of, you know, what is the art world look like? Because in undergrad, you know, they didn’t really teach you what the options were, so I was very fortunate to have that sort of trifecta experience. And then going into advising was just something that was very natural for me because I love to you know, look at art and make decisions as to whether they should join various collections and the collections, I’m thankful to work with– they’re very prominent and prestigious collections in New York, in the uk. A few in, well one was in Japan and Hong Kong and Mexico, so they’re very worldly collections and, Luckily, they’re also very inclusive of various minority artist types, which are historically underrepresented in the private and public art space, both as the artists and the collectors.

So very grateful in that. But advising is, you know, interesting because a lot of people work with an art advisory group and then maybe go off on their own. I’ve been advising for most of my career, and in that I work in tandem with various galleries museums, auction houses, but I represent the collector, which is unique.

So I help them build their collection. I help them manage it, and then I help, I advocate for them in, in any way.

That’s great, and I really appreciate the meaning of your work. Like you’ve said, it’s, it’s emerging, it’s minority artists. It’s really giving visibility to artists that have not had that exposure and As well as collectors, you know, and allowing for a collector base that has not previously had that access.

So I really appreciate your values in how you work, and also just the beauty of what is being revealed in this art world that we haven’t been able to see, sadly. And so, yeah. So maybe let’s take us back into if somebody is. You know, a new couple, let’s say. I don’t know. I was, I was at Frieze LA this year and you have all these great collector groups like at the Hammer Museum and, you know, it’s really so exciting to see people get energized about art, but it is a very overwhelming process for people, as you know.

Absolutely right.

And I even started just getting back in my game again. And, you know, with pricing and value of, you know, all of the elements to it, what would be right. And it really, it’s overwhelming.

It’s overwhelming. Just a quick note on that, even just in my career that I summarized in 10 seconds, I have worked in various sectors of air world that are nothing related to what I do right now.

So, Quite literally, you know, the art world is gigantic, but the very specific niche in which I work is contemporary artists, so artists that are living while we’re living. I think that’s super important to be able to grow with an artist. And, you know, really, especially if you’re able to align an age with them, that’s always just so cool.

But yes, what I’ve noticed and what I sort of mentioned about with undergrad is that Art world is very impenetrable. Like you don’t know where in the art world you are, whether you are looking at the right art, whether you are participating in the right conversations. And it is overwhelming even for us in it because lack of regulation, right?

The lack of, you know a set hierarchy and structure and these sort of systems that are in place that encompass my industry. Our industry is they’re a little archaic. They’re a little chaotic.

So they’re archaic and chaotic. Yes. Right. It’s, it’s like the wild, wild west.

It is! I love to use that reference.

Yeah. There’s something great about that frontier that makes it feel freeing, I guess, on one hand, but yes, there’s not that safety structure or that regulatory process.

Exactly, and I think, you know, I’m not asking for regulation in its entirety. But I think, I love how you just said about it being on the frontier because I’ve actually helped facilitate many artists, like First Museum donations or made up within like the feminist or the black art within the public institution and that right there is history making. Obviously I’m a very small part of that, but it is this sort of new frontier where the possibilities are endless, but at the same time, it’s a very fragile industry at the same time, because if these artists, especially minority artists, get a lot of recognition and momentum, unfortunately, that also correlates with how much their prices are at auction.

And auction is something that’s very tricky because, the minute an auction begins, just to quickly summarize this, there’s no way of knowing how much a work will sell for if there is an estimate, it could sell for above or far below, whatever the estimate is. And if it’s a far above, yes that means the artist is very popular, but it also creates so much instability because everyone is like, oh my God, I could make a buck? That big of a buck. I’m going to put this work at auction. And then there’s so much supply at these high prices, not enough demand. And the artists, you know, it just adds so much tremendous pressure. And people forget these are real people producing their life’s work.

Everyday art too.

Their creative energy. Yeah, and it’s really, it can be really sad. So it’s like, yes, you wanna promote artists, but you need to keep their markets stable. And you know whose job is that? It’s the gallerist, but sometimes galleries have other motives. It’s ok wild, wild west, chaos.

Right, right. So like how you’re speaking to it, which I appreciate. You’re unpacking all the variables that can be at play.

Yes.

And while we can’t control for them, I’m going back for a research doctorate and you, it’s hard to control for all these variables, but I think what you’re relaying to us in the audience, Is that to kind of be mindful of all that goes on in this trajectory of purchasing, building a collection and valuing art.

Absolutely. I think that a lot of people, you know, I really think it’s beautiful, right? If a new couple goes to an art fair and they buy something that they absolutely love and they take it home, that’s a beautiful experience. But when it becomes a little bit more complicated, like the artist has a waiting list or some buyers are very speculative and they just wanna buy to make money.

Obviously we try to weed those out as quickly as possible. But I think what, you know, it’s the gallery’s job, it’s the advisor’s job, it’s museum’s job, but it is very much the job of the collector and the patron to support and do the right things and follow the right etiquette so that these artists can have long careers. So I am so about teaching and saying like, okay, if you enter into the art world, here’s something you gotta know. You can’t buy something and put it at auction the next day. Like, that’s, it’s like flipping, that would be flipping like, just understanding the consequences of certain things.

I remember years ago I was, Watching the auctions or something. And I thought that if an artist’s auction went for really high, like if their artworks sold for a lot, that was something to be celebrated. I think a lot of people don’t know What, like I said, was sort of instability that can create.

Right, so what happened is it, I, I’m not a economist by any means, but it inflates it, it inflates the work. And so much of this surge of contemporary art that you know, you would sell it to what? Christy’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips, those main auction houses.

So you would consign it is what they call it.

Yeah. You would consign it.

And I’m sorry if my dog barks.

Oh no, he or she’s welcome.

I’m going on a short trip this weekend, so my suitcase is out and she just freaks out.

Oh, she’s having abandonment anxiety. Aww.

So apologies. So, it’s just complicated. And I think, you know, when I start working with new collectors or when someone comes to me, and I think I told you a little bit, but I’m building this company that really focuses a lot in education because you know, I’m not necessarily talking about art history, although I think that is super important for people to know, and I wish more people did, but I’m talking more about how does the art world ecosystem work? Yeah. How does one thing affect another? And just teaching people that from day one. And I always say like, do not rush to buy your first artwork.

Most of my collectors, I’ll start speaking with them, if it’s their first purchase, I tell them not to buy anything for six months. Just learn, take it all in. Develop your taste and your palette and learn sort of the variables of the art world and where you want to align. I think that that’s, it’s a big purchase usually for most people.

The art I sell personally is, The emerging art can start at between five and 10,000, but most of it is quite a lot more, and my collectors are spending hundreds of thousands, if not more a year on art and building really collections for their, you know, For their families, for their future homes and for museums as well.

So it is a serious commitment. It is a serious monetary investment, and I think that the best thing you could do is not go into it blind and have someone lead you through it, whether it’s an advisor, whether it’s a gallery, just someone that you trust that’s as unbiased as possible. That can teach you about all these moving parts because it’s also easy to ruin your reputation as a collector.

And then you get something called blacklisted, which means you’re not allowed to buy from any galleries.

Really?

Some people don’t even know, like if someone were to buy something and put it at auction the next day. Or the next week, you know what I mean? Like they buy it and they immediately flip it.

Also, there’s, you know, agreements in place to enforce things like this for not happening, but people still, if they see an opportunity to make money, may put it at auction, but then that person won’t ever get sold to again from that gallery or any other galleries they’re close with.

Right. Well, that’s a way to regulate. In saying, we, we want to sell this to you, to build this collection, to invest in this artist.

Absolutely.

And I’m really, gosh, Rachel, I mean, I think we spoke about so much our last conversation, but I’m just now even more inspired by, sorry I’m throwing a lot at you. No, I think it’s just, it’s so inspiring how you’re looking at, what I love to hear is the ecosystem and really educating people on all these moving parts in this art world that allows one to invest, and buy art in their ethics, right? We have ethics in place.

I’m trying to instill ethics and make that really the forefront of what a collection can be. I think that by looking at historically underrepresented artists, that at least puts you ahead of the curve and knowing that, you know you’re doing something good, you’re uplifting voices of, whether it’s women artists, people of color, or queer artists, is another major underrepresented category.

Thankfully, you know, there is a way to publicly have these sorts of artists included in, you know, museum collections, but it also has a lot to do with the private collections. And I think that, you know, throughout the hundreds of years that art history has been a discipline and museums have been created and art collecting was really on the forefront.

It’s sort of about how certain artists were prioritized and those certain artists happened to be like straight white men. And so yeah, my mission is to just create balance. I’m not saying don’t buy straight white men artists, their art is also fantastic. But I’m just saying, you know, we are a diverse community.

Like our collections, our homes should absolutely be supportive of everyone. And it’s just because not everyone prioritizes that, or they can exploit that. And it’s dark. So yeah.

Well it’s saying like when I look at the psychology of design, you look at really what in your collective of our world of humanity, you’re reflecting on your walls, right?

Absolutely.

So there’s a whole lot in that.

There’s a whole lot in that. And you know, it is for me, being in the position I’m in, I love the art world, I can’t imagine a world without art, I can’t imagine my world without art. It’s all I’ve, you know, eat, breathe, sleep, everything for the past decade. But at the same time, it is tough to be critical of your own industry, and I think the only way you can be is when you see there are holes, and then creating solutions. And that’s what I’m doing. Like I’m not just over here like everyone’s, you know, whatever. I’m not like trying to talk badly, but providing options and solutions for people. And I think that’s what’s really important for, for the future of our industry, so that it’s not so dependent on auction records is really what it’s dependent on.

And yeah like you’re saying, it’s really evolving and creating a new narrative and changing the system. One sale, one collector, one collection at a time. Right. I mean, we only have so much control over our world and our political world, so you know, you making a foray into leading this with these set of values in mind, and I think I would feel very safe with you. I would feel very trusting of you and we know in psychology, right? In terms of, I think you’re hitting on dynamics of the relationship of trusting your advisor, feeling safe, right? With your purchase? And because those stakes are all activated with a bigger purchase, and also what I’m hearing with you, is taking time, which I think is important to hone in on your own instincts. You know, as a collector, buyer, or an art enthusiast, right? And how that time you can also, you know, maybe rely on that a little more?

Yeah, I mean, I think that trust is just a big part of it. I think that it’s like the collectors I’ve worked with where it didn’t end up working out, it’s honestly because I didn’t trust them to do the right thing by the art world, like they were eventually flippers we found out, or motivated by other things. Right? So it is about trust, but I think also just randomly a lot of issues that advisors run into is if they’re like a one man shop. I luckily have an amazing team now, but there’s a lot that happens pre-sale, but then there’s a lot that happens post sale, this is like invoicing, shipping, organizing framing, organizing all of these things because it is like buying a home, you know? There’s a lot that goes into it. So I think deal flow is really slowed by that. And there aren’t really systems in place. Again, what I’m creating that will help sort of streamline that process. But collecting art and being in the art world shouldn’t be difficult.

I think that’s like what you were saying too, is like, It should be beautiful. It should be inspiring. You should be able to look at your art and have it inspire your everyday work. If you don’t work in art, you should go to museums and learn about history and culture and sociology and psychology from art.

Not having it always be assigned a number of value. I think that’s That’s the detriment of the headlines.

Right, because if you take time to go to that exhibition, you’re so sparked with interest of why are you unconsciously or consciously attracted to that piece? And, you know, coming from a Carl Union perspective of what an image holds, you know, and not only is it like you said, It’s historical, anthropological, it’s a reflection on what you’re projecting onto that piece. It’s just kind of a soulful thing and for that to guide you and the money will follow. Right? As cliche as it sounds, for sure, you’ve gotta love the art you have.

I mean, that’s the other thing is like you have to love the art. Like we talked about earlier, if you’re spending disposable income on art, the pool of artists I’m looking at and working within and the galleries I work with, there is, you know, of course not a guarantee, but if I’m looking at an artist early, there is a strong likelihood that they will maintain their value, if not increase it, if not significantly increase it.

So, you’re not meant to go into it with that mindset, but honestly, most of the time, the art that I’ve sold years ago ends up being the art now that is at the auctions. Because these artists, if you can spot talent early and you’re able to buy them when they’re affordable, it’s about not putting it at auction and not selling it, but instead being able to be like, wow, I was able to get that artist before she was so expensive and so difficult to acquire, and you really need to work with an advisor, or you need to hone your own eye and be able to spot that early.

But you know, I’m trying to figure out, because my collectors will ask me, why do you like this? Why do you like this workout of all the others? And it’s just like an instinct, like we talk about you know, the psychology behind it. I cannot identify why I think a work is stronger, an artist is stronger than another, except that they’re doing something unique and that they’re very talented, you know, and things like this.

But it’s sort of like if you. I don’t know if you can spot it, you can spot it. And I think that’s a gift that I have that I’ve just finally claiming and saying that I do.

Right. Well, hey, you earned it and you know what? No, you’ve put your time in. I think when you’ve educated yourself and have been in all these arenas to understand how it works, but to see enough work that now it becomes more, you know, natural for you.

Oh, absolutely.

It is really wonderful that you can kind of work on all those levels of, even just, I guess I imagine how a gallery owner was when they spot talent. They know talent, you know?

Yeah. I mean, I’m luckily already picking from a pool, like I have like a hard rule where I don’t place or look at artists that are not already represented by the galleries that I already work with.

I’m not gonna be finding something on Instagram and being like, oh, collectors, you should, you know, look at this because there’s so much art out there. I work with these art dealers, these galleries in a trusting sort of symbiotic relationship where if they, like I’m picking out of the pool that they’ve already picked from, if it’s a gallery, I don’t need to like every artist on their roster.

Actually, usually I don’t. But the one that I do, the ones I pick from each of these galleries, that’s who I really think has, you know, the ability to go all the way.

Yeah. So even you can look at various galleries and really spot that out.

Right. But it’s like, it’s almost funny cuz like they have really the eye, they have really the like, all right, we have the tools to nurture this artist and teach them and teach the world about them and all of these things.

And that’s a lot of responsibility. And then they have to maintain this artist’s career. Get them into museums, get them into great collections. I mean, being a gallerist is really hard work.

And I think so too. I, I don’t know how, I mean this piece I just bought from a gallery I love here in Los Angeles.

I just thought, wow, they’re parents. They’re managers. They have so many different roles to invest in artist careers.

And it’s, you know, having a physical space too. There’s just so much emotional and physical overhead that I think a lot of people don’t think about, and I know that there’s criticism about how much galleries make, like they split it with the artists and whatnot.

I never have any critique on that. I think the gallery, if they’re doing their job properly, You know, or has earned that as much as I think they’ve, they’re meant to nurture the artist not to, you know, not to do anything else. And I’m right. I have an issue with, with some galleries, just with some people where they maybe are not so nurturing or they have other agendas.

And I think that a huge part of what will make the art world successful is having trust and transparency and having people be held accountable. So that’s another huge, one of the core foundations of my new company, Romulus, is like, trust, transparency, accountability.

Like We don’t need to be so in the dark, like, I don’t know how else to express.

Right. Let’s make it accessible, like honest and accessible, and build people’s worlds in it and give everyone that Right you know, in humanity to be able to.

And I, you know I’ve talked to A lot of other aspiring collectors, especially minority collectors, and I’m half Mexican, woman, I’m Jewish.

I used to go to museums obviously, like our only example was like Frida Kalo as a Mexican artist that like made it. And so it is difficult to go to museums and not see people that look like you. Like if you walk around at any museum, I mean, you may not think of it as a woman. The amount of women artists in museums, even at auctions, even though don’t love the auctions, but the amount of women, the percentage is extremely low. Like single digits or something.

I didn’t realize it was that low. Okay. I mean, I know it’s low. I went to an opening just last weekend at the Fowler Museum, a hidden gem at UCLA, which makes this even more special, they had an exhibition of a Haitian woman artist named Marlyn Constance.

Whew. Oh my gosh. First Haitian woman to have an exhibition and this over of work was just, it was phenomenal. And so just to even have that, for her to have that experience, well, she couldn’t even be there for the opening, unfortunately. But yeah, it’s time to give, give more of these artists their shows, right?

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think it’s just sort of ingrained in history and it’s like just something we’re so used to, like, also names are names, you know, I don’t know that we can walk around a museum and be able to fully assume someone’s ethnicity, you know, based on a name necessarily.

But at the same time it’s like there should be much more of an effort with inclusivity and I actually had a beautiful, beautiful meeting with the people at the Brooklyn Museum today, and there is such a supportive feminist museum that also focuses very much in other forms of minority art and they have since the beginning.

I think that’s something really special because other museums are trying to correct the past, which obviously is very commendable. But I think working with institutions, and I work a lot with the Brooklyn Museum, I’ve done a lot of donations with my collectors, a lot of, again, some of these artists, their first donation into a museum and the museum, you know, being the Brooklyn Museum, it’s unbelievable.

And almost all are artists of color, are certainly minority artists and, yeah, it’s just really nice to be able to talk with someone who aligns so much with, you know, my morals, my ethics, and they’re really great.

Oh, yeah, knowing now, learning more about your new advisory group, so is it gonna be Romulus is the new name?

So Rachel Cole Art Advisory will remain as such. And that is me, I’ll have a few advisors under me that I will be training to handle, you know, sales as they come in under my eye, under my discretion. And then Romulus is my new company, but that focuses in education, social, and logistics.

So there’s those three sectors, but like Rachel Cole Art Advisory and other art advisors will use Romulus. But it’s completely separate. Like Romulus is meant to be this unbiased sort of teaching tool where You can be connected with advisors, but the point of it is to just have these systems in place and have some clarity and have an educational source. And a social part. So the social part is actually a forum because right now there’s not really a centralized forum for people in the art world to talk about things. Like I mentioned, like how much they should be being paid and celebrated.

Yeah. So it’s educational, it’s a platform for social, educational, and logistics. And to be a part of that, you feel more connected into being, you know, educated and your knowledge base is increased.

Yeah, I met a lot of people through the Forbes community, which was fantastic. They have these summits all over the world. I just came back from Abu Dhabi where there was one.

Oh wait, you were in the town. Were you there during that Women’s leadership?

The 30 50? Yeah, that’s where I was.

Oh, that’s where you were at! Ok. I know some people that went, oh my gosh.

Oh, we’ll have to talk about that after, camera off. Cause I met like everyone. I mean, it was amazing. But, I met so many people and I was really, one of the only people that worked in art there. And it’s really again about teaching. And then once people are in the art world collecting, they want to, you know, join a museum patron level. It’s about making that part easier. It doesn’t need to be so complicated. So that’s where the full circle thing is. All the people I’ve met, not in the art world, that’s who this is for. To enter in, to learn. And then once they’re in, it’s easy. It’s like buying a lip gloss at Sephora.

Right now, it’s chaos. You wouldn’t even believe if I told you what an art sale normally looks like. It’s horrendous.

Right so just to, you know, to understand how to become a patron to a museum, to invest in artists and exhibitions…

it’s meant to be extremely digestible, short form content. So this will be on Instagram, on TikTok, and then on a blog that connects you with links and movies, to watch stuff like this. So it’s like, you know, we spend a lot of time on Instagram. My Instagram page is called romulus.art.Ig.

Every day, every weekday there’s something posted and it’s like three things you didn’t know about the Whitney Museum. Whatever. And then you just read those and you move on. Like or here’s a news article, or here’s a bit of art history. And it’s meant to like capture the attention span of someone who it doesn’t breathe art like us, you know?

Yeah it’s like a digest, kind of like a morning digest where you get just some main, you know, key points.

Some like fun facts, like some guys who were like the beta testers, they were like, I can use this on a date. I was like, great. Do that, please.

Exactly, speaking of dating your art, pairing people with art, just to get, you know, in our last segment here, you know, I guess, going into the psychology of pairing people with art or looking at their personalities or reading them, what is that relationship like when you work with a new client or existing ones? In terms of that?

So I have kind of intense onboarding system with new collectors I work with. And until Romulus is up and running with the logistics part, I can only take on about five clients at a time. So I have like a waiting list of people that are, or people that are not needing to learn. That’s the people I have to teach that I, I only go a little bit by little bit because that’s, you know, a lot and I want people to feel taken care of. But there’s an intense onboarding, sort of survey questionnaire that goes through, like, you know, what’s your favorite artwork in museums? Who’s your favorite artist? And then I actually have a big photo library where I ask people to go through and like the ones they like. And then from there it’s very easy for me to be like, ah, they would love this. You know, and I think that’s always easy. And then it’s just about their budget.

And then from there I can get them a few options that they really love, tell the story of the artist. Sometimes people don’t really wanna know if there’s like a negative part to it, which I totally understand. Sometimes people, they only wanna know about the artist, so I ask them to prioritize those sorts of things. Or tell me what, you know, what makes you tick the most? And then it’s pretty easy to, to align people with what looking for.

That’s great. So you do not an assessment, but you get a little bit of an appraisal of the person, their history, what they know about it, what they like. And then given their preferences and you, given your talent, can really start to seek out that which you would read as, as their interest or attractions.

I mean, best case scenario is to see their home. That usually doesn’t happen on the first go.

That doesn’t happen on the first date!

No, it doesn’t. No, they’re not inviting me back. No, I’m kidding. So, I’ve started working with a couple celebrity clients and that’s been fun because you can see their home in like Architectural Digest. And like in like news, you know, sort of al decor and things like this. So I can very easily see what their style is. And then, you read interviews and you get to know what really makes these people tick. What do they care about? And then from there if it’s uplifting, you know, Latina voices, if it’s uplifting, whatever it might be, that is so easy. Or maybe they don’t care about the story as much as they care about colors, maybe they just want abstract. So a new client I just started working with, she wants something very abstract. And so now she’s on my Instagram, like messaging me the one she likes. I’m like, thank you. That’s so helpful. Cause I can just say, all right, here’s the next one, let’s do it. But it’s always funny when I do a presentation for like a public figure and their home is somewhere, I’m like, here’s exactly what you would like. And they’re like, I love it. I knew! My dream is, to curate like an already done home or something. I love doing that. That’s the interior design part.

Oh, I would love to bring you on board with that because that is when you get the whole home and really be able to look at it as a whole and to go into that space, you’re right, you can really read that person or even help them develop the palette if they don’t quite have that yet. But that sounds like kind of magic for you to really go in and to do a whole space.

It’s so fun. That’s like favorite things to do because most of my collectors that I work with, who I’m not teaching, they’ve already been collecting for a handful of years. These are the ones spending like, that have big budgets per year, and they’re on the boards of museums and stuff.

So we’re not, unfortunately, buying a work to put on a wall like that’s done. They already have the home. They’re actually building homes likely to house their collection. Building a private museum. It’s not like this would go great over the couch.

It’s like, no, I’m buying a couch to go with this artwork. It’s working backwards. So one collector who is a great friend of mine, we started working together cuz he just bought a place and at first, of course, we were like, oh, this would look great on this wall. And then he just became so in love with art and collecting that he ended up not enough walls.

But it was really good cause it was a fun project to be like, what about this for this wall? And then there was so much art he loved, like he really was able to dive deep. But that’s always funny. So now I’m like, all right, I just want like one room, one home. That’s so fun cuz you get to show your creative side as you know.

You do. And I just love that it’s really not putting the piece over the couch, it’s designing the home in the space and the furniture to go around the art and it’s fun.

But it’s like, In the meantime, these artworks are, they’re being loaned to museums. Sometimes they’re in storage. I’m lucky to loan them. So it goes both ways where it’s like, I actually don’t really have any pictures of works I’ve placed because they’re in like the temporary home. And so they’re waiting for the presentation. So it’s funny.

And sometimes they don’t want it revealed. But I really love living with the art and the home itself.. Sometimes getting out of the gallery space and doing that, you know, looking at it.

I was just gonna ask you, what’s behind you?

So these are prints, which were I bought years ago. They’re very, very accessible price points. Some of these were only a couple hundred dollars. I think this one was like $200. There’s this great website that has art by really famous artists, but they’re produced at very accessible price points.

What that website? Are you allowed to give that website?

Oh yeah. 100%. Oh my God, I love that. It’s called Exhibition A.

Okay. Exhibition A to our listeners.

Exhibition a. Message me for a discount code. This is Eva Juzakavitz. Okay. This is Emily Marie Miller Cohan. This is Quintin James McCaffrey. And this is Julie Curtis. So this is just my one little nook in my home.

I have more at my office and every crevice of my home is covered because to me it’s just, such beautiful memories of, you know, these artists. So these artists, for example, I placed paintings of them when they were under like $10,000 and now they’re half a million dollars. So not these of course, but it’s a nice memory.

To really grow up with these artists and really develop relationships, I think that’s the most beautiful part about art and for me being in the art world, is connecting with your community and people and the artists. It’s so represented on this wall that I’m looking at. And aesthetically of course, you know, there’s so much romance in it. it’s dark light.

Very 18th century. So I think we talked about my thesis last time. It’s funny, I did a podcast like a month ago. The person who interviewed me focused in like ancient Roman art. So we ended up just talking about my thesis the entire time. I was like, I can’t talk about my thesis again. Which is about the 18th century and the foundations of collecting art history as a discipline, archeology. And I look at the, the English countryside and a lot of these artworks are, so this is referencing the swing, Vijay LeBron is the reference here. And then these are just meant to look like very wild. Actually all of these artists were in a show I just co-curated in Geneva. So that’s also nice.

Rachel, you are on fire. I mean, as an art advisor, this is what I love about you and what you get to do in your world. You’re curating, you’re building art collections, you’re working with museums and you know, flying off to Dubai and that was a very, you know, inspirational leadership conference.

Oh my God, it was.

So, you know, with that said, I am so inspired by how you are growing your business and not just as an advisory company, but as a worldly educational forum for people to make it more approachable and transparent and to be in our ethics in the art collecting. And actually just one last thing, do we always have to say collecting? You know, sometimes I think, well, I’m not a collector, but I love to buy, I love to be surrounded by art. I’m an art enthusiast, let’s say. Yeah. Art lover. Art enthusiast?

I get what you’re saying cuz collector almost sounds like a profession. That’s what you’re saying. Like, so serious.

Yes. It sounds serious. Yeah. Art enthusiasts. I think that would be it. Okay. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, if you own art, I mean, if you’re in the art world, I think, yeah, art lover. I love that. I think anyone can be an art lover. Anyone can be an art collector. I think you know, it is just about beginning to learn. So if anyone’s like listening and wants to learn more, go on the Instagram to just start learning and getting your toes wet.

So give our listeners your Instagram.

Yeah. So I have two Instagrams. One of them is @rachelcoleartadvisor and that one posts you know, where I am, what I’m doing, who I’m working with, the artists I’m looking at and selling. So those are like ready to go, you know, that’s very much what I’m doing in my advisory practice, but @romulus.art.Ig, that one has more of the very basic three things you didn’t know about Picasso , you know, breaking news about the art world. Those are the daily snippets that are much more short form. People not in our world might look at my personal or my business Rachel Cole, Instagram and be like what is this? Because that is a little bit more advanced versus Romulus is for people that are like, all right, I’m ready to start learning. I’m ready for either a day one education or you know a little bit and you wanna fill in the gaps. It’s just meant to get you a little interested in art and have tidbits to say on dates.

Great. Okay. Yeah, that’s true. Because then, then you can sound really impressive. I mean, when you talk about art it’s impressive, but we all can be in it. We all can connect to it. We all deserve to have that inner space to feel inspired or whatever it does for us, you know? But they’re living, breathing objects in the sense that, you know, hopefully they live with us. We relate to it and nurture it as we do ourselves, right?

Yes. I love that. So love that connection. It’s like how you take care of yourself. And I think that’s like the psychology behind it is if you put something on your wall that inspires you, that motivates you, that you know, makes you feel happy, it’s the same thing as, you know, putting junk food in your system or whatever it might be. I completely agree with that and I think there is such a physical component that people aren’t considering that much, or how much it can change someone’s life, truly.

Yeah. Well, that I think is a very powerful note to, you know, how it can transform your life and, you know, it can. And I think even the darker themes, That’s okay in my estimation is in when it transforms. Right? Doesn’t have to be so light and cheerful and joyful, which is great, but something that really kind of transforms. And I think that’s a really great way to describe it. So if you wanna transform with art, please, you know, you have some of the information with Rachel Cole Advisory, who I just thought like finding art, it was so meant to be that we connected and I feel so appreciative.

Oh my gosh, I’m so appreciative. You were wonderful to talk to and just so easy. It just has been so great.

Thank you. And I encourage everybody to look at Romulus as well as your art advisory. And wherever you shall find yourself in that need, it’s there. So, so thank you for the work you do in the art world.

My god, my pleasure. Any art questions from you or from anyone listening, my dms are always open.

Yeah, that’s great. Thank you. We always so much appreciate that. That’s such a gift to us, so thank you for making it more accessible and good luck on your trip. Where are you going?

Thank you. I’m just going to upstate New York. My family lives up there and sometimes you just gotta get out of the city. Gotta see some nature. And some art. There’s actually amazing art up there. I’m going to Dia Beacon. My husband, who’s never been, and then there’s all these beautiful mansions, like the Vanderbilt mansion, the Mills mansion that are all these beautifully preserved like Bella po. Yeah, it’s, it’s gonna be great.

Oh, I love it up there. Oh gosh, yes. Peak our interest even more as we end.

Well, I’ll be posting on on my Instagram.

Okay, well definitely I’ll be checking that out. Thank you so much, Rachel. I hope talk to you soon. I know we will. And have a great rest of your weekend and trip.

Thank you, you too.

Okay. Bye-bye.

This is not psychological advice, always consult your licensed healthcare providers, and never disregard or delay medical advice based on information provided in this blog or articles. Our goal is to educate, guide, consult, and empower clients regarding mindfulness, design with intention, and experience to create spaces that reflect an elevated psychology of wellbeing.