On the occasion of TEFAF Maastricht 2024, Megan Fox Kelly was invited to participate in a panel titled The Thrill of the Chase: Stories of Great Discoveries in Art, presented by Artnet. Megan was joined by Dr. Jacques Schuhmacher (Senior Provenance Research Curator supported by The Polonsky Foundation, Victoria & Albert Museum); Will Elliott (Colnaghi Elliott Master Drawings, Founder, Elliott Fine Art); and moderated by Andrew Russeth (Editor, Artnet News Pro).

In this talk, the panelists analyze the competitive landscape of art collecting, including discussions about how the internet has democratized the search, authenticity and provenance concerns, and ways collectors can develop their connoisseurship.

Watch the panel recording in the video above or on TEFAF’s website.

On the occasion of The Armory Show 2023, Megan Fox Kelly was invited to participate in Artnet News’ panel, The Future of the Art Market, which was also published as an episode of Artnet’s podcast, The Art Angle.

The panel included Megan, Susanne Vielmetter (Owner and Director of Vielmetter Los Angeles), and Alain Servais (Collector and Founder of Servais Family Collection). The panel was moderated by Eileen Kinsella, Senior Market Editor of Artnet News.

Listen to the episode below and read more here.

Image: Village Green.

Artnet News’ inaugural half-year edition of the Intelligence Report paints a clear picture of today’s art market by the numbers, with a wealth of eye-opening data points. Megan Fox Kelly contributes to the report’s ‘Marketplace: The Best Seller List (Impressionist and Modern)’ category.

In the Impressionist and Modern category, the Artnet News team reports that “Rarity and freshness are the names of the game in this segment of the market, which encompasses work by artists born between 1821 and 1910. The five best-performing paintings had never appeared at auction before.”

In the Imp-Mod category, as in many others, “we are clearly moving into a period of correction following the turbulence in the financial markets,” said art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. “Not a sharp swing, but some price sensitivity and more discretion in buying.”

Read the full Intelligence Report here.

On the occasion of TEFAF New York 2023, Megan Fox Kelly was invited to participate in a panel titled Setting Standards for Art Advisors. Megan was joined by Sean Kelly (Owner, Sean Kelly Gallery), Colin B. Bailey (Director, The Morgan Library & Museum), and moderated by Sarah Douglas (Editor in Chief, ARTnews).

In this talk, the role of art professionals in the formation of private art collections are discussed from various angles. The three panelists shed light on their thinking from the perspectives of a public institution, a contemporary gallery, and an art advisor—how can these different players assist collectors in the building of their collections, and what standards should collectors expect from advisors?

Watch the panel recording here.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images. Illustration by Artnet News.

Artnet News Pro included Katya Kazakina’s report on the phenomenon of ‘Gmail Art Advisors’ and her conversation with Megan Fox Kelly in their The Back Room weekly recap.

The Artnet News team shares that “With the bubble for some ultra-hot ultra-contemporary artists deflating before our eyes, Gmail Art Advisors seem to be disappearing left and right. Historically, that’s par for the course when easy commissions dry up and the work of advising gets hard. Unlike, say, the 151 internationally approved members of the Association of Professional Art Advisors (APAA), the Gmailers have no interest in, or aptitude for, the less glamorous, long-term responsibilities of the trade. Think: carefully researching provenance, inspecting condition, dealing with the shipping and customs headaches that often come from buying abroad, and more.”

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 states, “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 roundup list here.

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.

Frieze London 2019. Photo by Linda Nylind. Courtesy of Linda Nylind/Frieze.

Journalist Melanie Gerlis reports on the historic value of the dollar, compared to six major currencies this month, and how it is making the next two weeks of art fairs in Europe all the more appealing for American collectors.

In her article, ‘Like Getting a 20 Percent Discount’: For U.S. Collectors at European Art Fairs, the Strong Dollar Means Everything Is on Sale’ (October 10, 2022) Gerlis reports on the effects of the rapid currency shifts, sharing that “for those outside the U.S. […] the economic headwinds are starting to burn—and requiring them to make adjustments.”

Quoted in Gerlis’ article, Megan Fox Kelly notes that, “Beyond the art fairs, collectors in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe may be feeling the pinch and are going to be looking to sell certain things—maybe not in the coming weeks, in the coming months.”

“Whether that happens at auction or on the private side, clients are on the lookout for consignments coming out of European collections. After all, if the artworks are sold in Europe, Americans will be able, essentially, to get them on sale.”

Read the full article by Melanie Gerlis here.

Illustrator: Flatbush Brown.

Artnet News’ Spring 2022 edition of the Intelligence Report shares the biggest takeaways from the market’s performance last year—and insider tips on how to get ahead in 2022. Megan Fox Kelly contributes to the report’s ‘Marketplace: The Best Seller List (Photography and Impressionist & Modern)’ categories.

In the Photography category, Ansel Adams’ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico (1941) fetched $930,000 at Christie’s, surpassing its healthy $700,000 high estimate. When the picture last sold, in 1996, it achieved $36,650, making the latest price “an extraordinary jump for Ansel Adams,” art advisor Megan Fox Kelly said. Years ago, Adams’ work was primarily the domain of photography specialists. But over time, and with the increased reach provided by online viewing and bidding, he’s begun to attract crossover interest. It doesn’t hurt, Fox Kelly noted, that this image is “particularly beautiful.”

In the Impressionist and Modern category, the Artnet News team reports that “Two top-flight collections made the often sleepy Imp-Mod category—defined as work made by artists born between 1821 and 1910—perhaps the hottest of the year […] all told, eight Imp-Mod paintings fetched more than $50 million each.”

The Getty Museum purchased Gustave Caillebotte’s Jeune homme à sa fenêtre (1876), the final lot of the Cox sale, and swiftly put it on public view. Expected to bring above $50 million, the rare and imposing painting of the artist’s brother sold for a premium-inclusive $53 million, shattering the artist’s $22 million record. Some experts said the canvas had notable condition problems, particularly in the black at the center. “There has never been anything like it on the auction market, making it not only a rare opportunity to get such a signature Impressionist painting but also making it one of those difficult-to-estimate lots,” said Megan Fox Kelly.

“People were concerned about how deep the highest end of the market was,” said Megan Fox Kelly. The results proved that demand was there.

Read the full Intelligence Report here.

Michael Bowles/Getty Images for Gagosian Gallery.

Journalist Daniel Grant reports on Larry Gagosian's newly announced advisory arm of his high-profile gallery.

In his article, ‘As Gagosian Gets Into Art Advisory, Should Collectors Be Cautious of Taking Tips From Gallerists?’ (April 19, 2019), Grant shares that “There may be no moral to the story, but there is certainly a trend: Whereas, in the past, players in the art trade had distinct roles, increasingly individuals and companies are trying to be more full-service.”

Quoted in Grants’ article, Megan Fox Kelly notes that, “Sometimes, I find myself talking with a client’s financial advisor about how much of their assets should be invested in art. I’m asked to do things now that I never did just a few years ago.”

Megan is a long-standing member of the Association of Professional Art Advisors (APAA), which requires that its members “may not maintain inventory for sale, accept artwork on consignment or act as private dealers in any transaction.” That requirement protects advisory clients, according to Megan Fox Kelly. Because gallery owners “represent inventory they own or that is on consignment to them,” she explains, “their first responsibility is to their inventory and to their consignors.”

Read the full article by Daniel Grant here.