Q & A With Art Collector - Pete Scantland
After a brief hiatus Lol (roughly a year and a half), we are back with our League OTO Q & A with an art collector we love and know.
We will be kicking things off with League OTO family member - Pete Scantland. Pete is the CEO of Orange Barrel Media, a trustee of Columbus Museum of Art and all around great human being. Pete shared with us some insight on his vastly incredible collection of artworks as well his other passions outside of art. Pete also shares how he feels instagram has helped artists and collectors alike and lastly the all important artworks that got away.
We like to thank Pete and his lovely wife Michelle for opening their beautiful home up to us.
L - What’s the 1st piece of art you remember acquiring?
The first was from an artist friend while still in college, and as I came up through my twenties I would buy work I loved, mostly from local galleries. Once I decided to do it in a more dedicated way, early acquisitions were a Derrick Adams floater painting and a major work by Hank Willis Thomas. So it was a progression from a pretty young age, but has accelerated as I was able to dedicate more knowledge and resources, and as our access has grown.
L - Do you feel Instagram has helped or hurt collectors, artist, or art in general?
Instagram has massively expanded the audience for art, and empowered artists to build an audience independent of the traditional gatekeepers of the art world and without geographic barriers. So probably for the first time ever, we truly have an international art world, and a platform for simultaneous and real time discovery. I discover artists I likely never would have without Instagram, and I hear stories all the time of artists who have found and built a career on the platform, and that has led to representation that may not have happened otherwise. At the same time, it drives hype and commodification and clearly contributes to some of the speculation that happens in the market.
L - We know you are an avid art collector but what are some of your other passions?
First, my family, including my wife and two young children, as well as my identical twin brother and sister, my in-laws and everyone’s spouses and kids, who are all around the same age. We love to travel, and my wife and I are both runners, with a particular passion for trail running. I’m an entrepreneur, and now almost 18 years in, still love working every day at Orange Barrel Media, an outdoor advertising company that operates in 30 major US cities. I am also involved in real estate development, technology and other investments, and am passionate about my work on the board at the Wexner Center for the Arts and the Columbus Museum of Art.
L - Give us four artists you really love at the moment.
It would be impossible to name just four favorites, so I’ll just mention the studio visits and artists I saw when I was out in LA a few weeks ago. Sayre Gomez, Hayley Barker, Guimi You, and Yesiyu Zhao. I’m super excited that they will be in the second installment of gifts joining the Scantland Collection at the Columbus Museum of Art.
L - Do you have a preference on how you collect artwork-via galleries, auctions, online platforms such as Artsy, or directly from the artist?
I’m mostly acquiring from galleries, but do frequently discover on Instagram and Artsy. I really value the primary galleries, try to support them, and believe that they are indispensable to keeping everything going.
L - With 2 wonderfully rambunctious children do you ever worry about having so much art in the house?
We want to live with both the people and the art that we love, and it’s never been an issue. The kids are very respectful and will often remind adult guests to do the same!
L - With such a vast array of art in your collection how do you and Michelle(His lovely wife) decide which piece goes where your home? “Two part question” Also with such a vast array of art in your collection how often do you all change out the art in your home?
We’re constantly rotating, and can’t wait to get new acquisitions installed. But about 25 percent tends to stay longer, and is sort of the works that we just can’t live without. Plus we’re installing at our office building, as well as my brother’s house, who’s my collecting partner, and also at other friends and family. We usually have a number of works out on loan to museums. We want the work to be seen, and try to keep as much out of storage as possible. We do think quite a bit about the relationship between works in a space, and try to have some curatorial sensibility about how we’re installing.
L - What advice would 2021 Pete give 2011 Pete on life in general?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate that building something great takes time. Our culture tends to celebrate overnight success, but you rarely hear about the years of work getting to the point that everything clicked. I’d advise 2011 Pete to be patient and enjoy the journey, and to make sure you’re doing it with great people.
L - With prices sky rocketing every year do you think the “art bubble” will ever burst?
Like any market, there will be expansions and contractions, and the art market is certainly no different. Are we in a bubble now? We’re certainly in a period of rapid expansion, but the same thing is happening across almost every asset category, from other collectibles to real estate to equities. Tastes will change, but truly great art will stand the test of time, and I also believe that the number of people interested in art will continue to expand. It’s extraordinarily compelling and rewarding to collect, and the number of people with the capability combined with the advent of technology will continue to grow. Art changes your life, and who doesn’t want to be a part of that? We probably have something like 1000x the number of collectors and 100x the number of artists who can have a career in art than we did 50 years ago. In 50 years, I believe we’ll have another order of magnitude more.
L - We know you are heavily involved with the Columbus Museum of Art. Have you ever considered opening up your foundation or museum centered around art?
I love visiting private collections, and am simply blown away by The Menil in Houston, the Rubell in Miami, the Barnes in Philly, the Broad in LA. I recently visited some of the amazing ones in China, the Yuz and the Long Museum. I love how idiosyncratic and personal each of those collections is. Obviously, we’re nowhere near that level. For me and my family, we’ve decided that we want to support the Columbus Museum of Art, and are dedicated to helping the museum to build one of the most important collections of art made by artists of our generation. I hope that when we’re done, we’ve captured at a really interesting and relevant version of what was happening during this momentous period in the world. We just gave the first installment, which is work by 27 artists, including many League favorites! The show is up now, and includes: Felipe Baeza, Cristina BanBan, Greg Breda, Coady Brown, Lucy Bull, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Somaya Critchlow, Julie Curtiss, Jadé Fadojutimi, Derek Fordjour, Louis Fratino, Jerrell Gibbs, Aaron Gilbert, Jenna Gribbon, Lauren Halsey, Alexander Harrison, Angela Heisch, Jammie Holmes, Deana Lawson, GaHee Park, Hilary Pecis, Devan Shimoyama, Emily Mae Smith, Vaughn Spann, Claire Tabouret, Ambera Wellmann, Robin F. Williams.
L - What is the one piece of art that got away?
Sadly, there’s been a few. Generally, I’m very instinctive and if something moves me, I’ll take the leap. Sometimes I do miss something though, and when that happens, I try on the next round. The artists I’m obsessed with and that haven’t happened for me yet are Jennifer Packer, Salman Toor, Janiva Ellis, Kenny Rivero, Sasha Gordon, Honor Titus, Oscar Yi Hou, the list goes on…
L - With all the emerging artists in the world how do you identify potential ones to add to your collection?
First, and foremost by looking at a lot of art. I try to go to a lot of gallery and museum shows, pay attention to Instagram, Artsy, and the various magazines, and websites. It’s really a pretty organic process, but always comes down to acquiring work that you love.
L - What advice would you give to someone who is trying to get into collecting art?
Really go out and see a lot of work, at museums, galleries, and fairs (in that order). Get involved in institutions, at whatever level you can. Every museum has affinity groups for young collectors and aspiring collectors, and you can learn a lot from the curators who are passionate about sharing their knowledge. Don’t email galleries asking about their hottest artist. Go and visit and be open to falling in love with something that moves you.
