Because great interiors deserve great art.
To learn more about how they demystify the art world to help their clients build sustainable (and, of course, financially beneficial) collections, we sat down with four top female advisors who are bringing their profession to the fore and demystifying the art world.
Chandos Dodson Epley
C2 Art Advisory and Chandos Collective, Houston, Texas
As an interior designer herself, Chandos Dodson Epley saw the need for an art advisor in the design space. Enter C2 Advisory: As a full-service advisory that works with personal and corporate clients across the country to build dynamic art portfolios.
You began your career as an interior designer and later added art advisory services to your firm. Tell us about that.
As my clients’ knowledge about art grew, I realized that I needed experts on the ground supporting me who knew more about market value, provenance, and were specialized in areas like Old Masters or Modernism. It’s hard to be designing a home from the ground up and then also spend time searching for and researching art.
Let’s say a client comes to you looking to build a collection completely from scratch. Where do you begin?
I encourage collectors to have a little bit of everything. Do you want to collect female artists? Are you passionate about artists from Central and South America? What do you want your story to be? Not only is it educational, it’s also enlightening to watch people deep dive into what they’re passionate about collecting and understanding what drives them. At the end of the day, you need to buy what you love, what you are attracted to, what reflects who you are because you will look at it every day. Whether that’s an emerging artist or a blue-chip artist, it’s neither here nor there. You need to focus on what is important to you.
Photo: KRIS ELLIS
Finding Home by Terrell James (left) and Blue Irises (On My Pond) by John Alexander hang in a client’s living room.
JULIE SOEFER