‘Gmail Art Advisors’ Are a Pestilence on the Market. Luckily, They Are Starting to Melt Away, One by One

A view at Paris+ par Art Basel 2022. Courtesy of Art Basel.

Art market journalist Katya Kazakina reports on the phenomenon of ‘Gmail Art Advisors’ and spoke with Megan Fox Kelly about the role and ethical practice in the art advisory profession.

In her article, ‘Gmail Art Advisors’ Are a Pestilence on the Market. Luckily, They Are Starting to Melt Away, One by One (February 23, 2023) Kazakina investigates the recent influx of highly transactional ‘advisors’, sharing that “There’s a way to ferret out bad actors and find good ones. The Association of Professional Art Advisors, for example, has 151 approved members internationally, up from 111 in 2013, with its ranks including curators as well as consultants.”

Founded in 1980, the APAA is the only standard-setting organization for the practice of art advisory. Quoted in Kazakina’s article, Megan Fox Kelly shares, “Undisclosed commissions from a gallery are a big no-no for an APAA member, as is holding inventory. The key is to always act in the best interest of a client, and uphold the greatest transparency.”

Read the full article by Katya Kazakina here.