Matt Flint and a Collector & Fan (Gracie Flint in the background)

The collector pictured above has been following the work of Matt Flint for several years; finally, after a long wait, she was able to meet the artist in the gallery on the very same day that he delivered 19 new paintings for his “Up Close and Far Away” exhibition (opening this Friday the 24th).

There is nothing quite like meeting the artist whose work you have been admiring, and learning more about the paintings you have acquired. The artist’s voice and enthusiasm, as well as their insights into their own process, give you a connection to the work like never before. That’s why we at Gallery MAR bring you Winter and Summertime artist receptions, with as many opportunities as possible for our collectors.

Especially for an artist like Mr. Flint, where the work is intensely personal, hearing the creator of the artwork describe the painting gives you a new appreciation for the time, effort, and inspiration behind the piece.

If you are available to, please stop by the gallery this Friday for the artist reception from 6 to 8 pm. And make your own connection.

Bridgette Meinhold, "Halfway," Encaustic on Panel, 2012

Inspiration, by Oakley Allred, Fine Art Consultant to Gallery MAR.

As Winter plods along and the excitement of the New Year wears away, I seek inspiration and fresh perspectives in my daily routine. Fortunately, Gallery MAR provides an outstanding source for both. Take for example the work of Bridgette Meinhold, an emerging artist who makes her home here in Park City. Not only is Ms. Meinhold’s work thought-provoking, the journey to discover her creative calling is an inspiring feat of self-exploration and determination.

After completing two science degrees and working towards a career in engineering, Ms. Meinhold instead changed course and allowed herself to become a full-time artist. Nestled in her studio, accessible only by snowmobile on the outskirts of town, she creates her signature, dream-like encaustic paintings. Consisting exclusively of natural and/or reclaimed materials, Meinhold’s work illustrates the delicacy of her surrounding environment. Inspired by nature and the continual act of learning, the artist admits, “I grow stronger from trying, more experienced from mistakes, and more joyful with each new piece I create… Each day, whether working in my studio, hiking in the woods or writing, my goal is to have fun.” Meinhold plans to visit her mentor, artist Shawna Moore (also represented by Gallery MAR), this spring to further explore her creative catalyst. I predict she will return with a wealth of new insights and techniques.

Visit us at Gallery MAR’s new location, 436 Main Street, to view Bridgette Meinhold’s latest creations. And let us know what inspires you!

Goerge Bodine, "Agent: Venice," Oil on Board, 2012

By Mark Ford, courtesy of Joe’s Cigar Bar, the Palm Beach Newsletter.

“The S&P index had a total return of total crap in 2011,” Bill Saporito, writing in Time magazine, said recently.

Saporito invested in every asset class he could think of—small caps, big caps, bond funds, foreign stock indexes, and gold funds.

“I should have invested in art,” he said. According to the Mei Moses World All Art Index (MMAI), which has been tracking art returns since 1820, investment-grade art returned 10.2% in 2011, crushing all of the stock indexes, which returned basically nothing.

Impressionist and modern art outperformed Old World Masters significantly: 14% to 4.8%, respectively. A single painting by Roy Lichtenstein sold at auction for more than $40 million.

In the past ten years, Saporito pointed out, art has “pitched a shutout against the S&P, with a compound annual return (CAR) of 4.6% versus 0%. Over the past twenty-five years, however, the S&P has won, with a CAR of 9.3% versus 6.5% for art. Go to a fifty-year time frame and it’s a draw.”

A good argument can be made for investing in art in the future. And that is because the number of wealthy people in the world is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Every year, China, Brazil, and India are producing millionaires and multimillionaires by the thousands.

Wealthy people buy art. With more wealthy people in the world, we can expect to see more people buying art. Pepe Karmel, a New York University art historian, puts it this way: “If you are a hedge-fund trader or a venture-cap dude or in real estate, you are in the business of thinking about the future, and in a way that’s what art does.”

By the way, there is a relationship between art and stocks that is worth noting. According to the MMAI, there is typically a twelve- to eighteen-month lag between stock market and art market performance. In other words, wealthy investors seem to use some of their stock market profits to buy art.

Why? According to Michael Moses, a retired New York University business professor and co-founder of Beautiful Assets Advisors, the company that created the MMAI, “The wealthy view art as a wealth preserver.”

That is certainly how I see it.