Reader Asks: We love our art, but have too much. How can we downsize it?

I get many emails from readers asking for advice on home design and improvements, organizing and moving, but the topic that dominates my inbox is exactly how (not whether) to get rid of stuff we value, which, to be clear, is not the same as valuable stuff. A few weeks ago in this blog, I fielded a question from a reader in San Francisco who wanted advice on what to do with her mother's precious dining room chairs. Today we address another reader's problem -- too much art:

Dear Marni,

My partner and I like to visit art festivals and have made many purchases. Suffice it to say, we don’t have much wall or other space available in our home. Some of the artists are local.  

I wouldn't say we have any pieces that a museum would be interested in, but our art brings us pleasure. When we decide to downsize in retirement, what's the proper way to find a new owner for items that our children aren't interested in?  

Do we go back to the artist? Is selling someone else's artwork the correct thing to do? I guess that is what happens in the art world. We donate things to Goodwill, but what would do artists think when they saw their work in a Goodwill store? We would appreciate your thoughts. 

Too much of a good thing ...

ST

Orlando

Dear ST,

Art can bring much joy and pleasure, particularly when you buy it from a local art festival where you often meet the artist. While the joy may be infinite, alas, our wall space is not. Good for you for looking ahead and seeing that as your wall surface gets smaller, so must your art collection.

Like almost everyone who cherishes their belongings, you want what you can’t keep to go to a good home. In my book “What to Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want,” I write about a married couple in New Mexico, retired teachers in their 70s who share a love of art and travel. They have amassed quite an art collection. Most pieces aren’t museum worthy, but that doesn’t matter to them.

They have stated in their wills that when they die, they want their local museum to have first dibs. Then they have arranged for a respected trust company to sell, through various means, every single one of their belongings, from cars to cookware, and yes, their art. After taking a percentage, the trust is to give all the proceeds to the couple’s favorite museum foundation.

The trust company has assured them the art would not just be sold in a garage sale, but rather through a thoughtful auction process, and online channels.

Similarly, in my book “Rightsize Today to Live your Best Life Tomorrow,” we meet an avid art collector, who after a divorce downsized from a 4,200-square-foot home in Los Angeles and a 1,000-square-foot New York apartment into one 2,700-square-foot townhome — half the total space he had before.

He downsized his art collection by asking two questions: What do I love most? What will fit? He then sold some pieces at auction, some in private sales, and he invited family and friends to help themselves to the rest.

He shared his attitude toward art: “I may have paid for the art, but I don’t own it,” he told me. “I am only the caretaker so long as I have it. Once I pass it along, I appreciate that someone else will enjoy it.”

To find that next owner, search online for the artist’s work and see whether and where a market exists for it. Then, price and list pieces accordingly. If cashing out is not the priority, ask your kids, family members and friends if they would like any items.

Should you return your overflow art to the artist? Heaven’s no. That could really hurt their feelings. Is it okay to resell it? Absolutely. What do artists think when they see their work in a thrift store? They are business people as well as artists. They understand that tastes change, homes change, and the fact that their art is there means someone once bought it and loved it. And another someone likely will again.

If you have questions about home improvement, better living, downsizing or rightsizing, send them to marni@marnijameson.com.