I work in the arts, as a gallerist. I support artists—and their families—by exhibiting their work, connecting them with collectors and curators, and building opportunities that allow their careers to grow. Like many of my peers, I began as an artist myself. And like many, I found that my main calling was in the support of the work of others, rather than my own. I’ve come to see that art can’t survive on talent alone. It survives when networks of support exist: curators, critics, educators, collectors, dealers, and institutions—all of whom believe in the long-term value of the work being made.
Central to those networks are collections. What gets collected—especially by public institutions—matters. Collections are not just repositories of artworks; they are instruments of knowledge and mechanisms for cultural belonging. By collecting, museums and galleries build critical context over time. Without a strong collection, institutions cannot effectively reflect or shape cultural discourse. And without that, we lose the ability to help the wider public—both the art-interested and the general population—understand what matters, and why.
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