CSLH-N122 - Art Collecting for Everyone: Building Inclusive Contemporary Collections

Course Description

Duration: 6 weeks

^{Sheldon Storey, Found Family, 2021 (Ignite Gallery, Forage 2023, curated by Morgan Mavis and Tibi Neuspiel)}

Art Collecting for Everyone is a hands-on course for anyone curious about how art enters the world, where it ends up, and how we can participate in collecting in thoughtful, ethical, and accessible ways. The course will actively engage in contemporary art communities and is discussion-driven, approaching collecting not as an elite or intimidating practice, but as a relationship-based, values-driven activity rooted in curiosity, care, and connection. Together, students will explore the histories of collecting from cabinets of curiosity and colonial legacies to artist-run centres, Instagram, and emerging digital economies, while critically examining who gets to collect, who gets collected and how power circulates through these systems. 

Students will learn practical entry points into collecting, including buying directly from artists, visiting studios, navigating galleries and art fairs, understanding pricing and building respectful relationships. Multiple motivations for collecting will be considered: passion, beauty, patronage, community support and investment, while centring ethical frameworks that prioritize artists and cultural sustainability. Site visits, studio tours, case studies, and creative exercises will be explored. Topics will include exhibiting and living with art, basic collection care, archival thinking, and the emotional dimensions of stewardship. 
 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Develop a personal taste, values-driven framework for collecting contemporary art rooted in ethics, inclusivity, and care,
• Identify practical entry points for acquiring art, including working directly with artists, galleries, art fairs, and secondary markets, 
• Build confidence in navigating pricing, studio visits, and professional relationships within contemporary art communities,
• Design a thoughtful starter collection plan that reflects your interests, budget, and long-term stewardship goals. 
   

WHO THIS IS FOR

This course is for anyone curious about contemporary art and excited by the idea of collecting as a creative, ethical, and accessible practice. It’s ideal for emerging collectors, artists, designers, curators, students, and community-minded folks who want to learn how to support artists in meaningful ways. No prior collecting experience required: just curiosity, an open mind, and a love for acquiring compelling objects. 
 

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN AND EXPERIENCE

Participants will gain practical tools for finding, supporting, and living with contemporary art along with an ethical compass for building inclusive, thoughtful collections. Through site visits, studio tours, lively discussions, and hands-on exercises, you’ll shape your own collecting philosophy, learn how to navigate galleries and art fairs, connect with artists, and design a values-driven starter collection. You’ll leave with more confidence, clearer instincts, and a deeper sense of possibility around your role as an emerging collector. 

^{Sheldon Storey, Leeay Aikawa; Stephanie Singh, Leeay Aikawa, Anam Feerasta (Ignite Gallery, Forage 2023, curated by Morgan Mavis and Tibi Neuspiel)}

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Business Skills for Creative Professionals Certificate : Qualifying Courses
• Critical Theory and Social Impact in Art and Design Certificate : Qualifying Courses