Bruce Contemporaries Collecting Art and Wine: A Conversation and Tasting
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On Friday, April 9th, the Bruce Contemporaries hosted Collecting Art & Wine: A Conversation and Tasting. Alexandra Kittle, Independent Curator and Art Dealer and Greg Rubin, Owner, Horseneck Wine & Spirits were joined by Contemporaries co-chair, Asya Geller, for an interesting discussion on how to begin collecting art and wine and some of the current trends in the market.
Attendees enjoyed a tasting of three wines chosen by Greg to showcase bottles that would be a great start to a collection throughout the conversation. While discussing their top five tips to get you started in collecting, Alexandra mentioned, “You can’t take it with you, so make it count and keep legacy in mind when choosing pieces” while Greg suggested, “think about collecting wine as a way to step into the shallow end of the collecting pool.” They talked about training your palette, either by drinking wine or as Alexandra said, “Don’t be shy about making firm decisions when you are figuring out what story to tell with your art collection.” The conversation continued with a discussion on balance within your collection and why do people collect, is it for resale or for the joy of collecting? As the evening wrapped up, Greg and Alexandra talked about what makes a great collector and they both agreed that a great collector only needs to collect what they love.
About the Speakers
Asya Geller attended Cornell University where she majored in American Studies and worked at Sotheby's auction house for 10 years as the Head of the Client Development Department. In November 2020, she launched WERKZY, the only online marketplace exclusively for Small Businesses searching for Professional Talent.
Alexandra Kittle is an independent art adviser working in the United States and abroad, with opportunities to connect most often in the New York and Palm Beach regions. She offers referral-based advisory services, arts community access, and social engagement founded upon strength of relationships and quality of experience. This fabric is made up of bespoke offerings through personal attention. She works with a range of collectors from novice to virtuoso, building a collection for the first time or pursuing accessions to supplement an existing one, and also with businesses, estates, and private patrons on sourcing, acquisition strategy, sales, and curatorial projects. Additionally, she works with a roster of both established and emerging artists worldwide on planning and staging exhibitions and placing works in private collections and on public display. She previously was an Artist Liaison at Pace Gallery and in Development for Contemporary Art at Sotheby's. Alexandra holds a BA in Art History from Georgetown University and lives in Connecticut with her family.
Greg Rubin is the Owner of Horseneck Wine & Spirits in Greenwich, one of the first fine wine stores in the country, and Vanderbilt Wine Merchants in Brooklyn, NY named one of NYC’s Best Wine Stores. When he’s not in one of his shops Greg can be found in private cellars, on the road visiting up-and-coming producers, and speaking at various events on winemaking, wine collecting & investing, and wine appreciation. He holds the Certified Sommelier designation from the Court of Master Sommeliers, an MBA from NYU Stern, and is a member of the Bruce Museum.
