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Baton Rouge art galleries are experiencing a shift in the art market. Contrary to global art market trends reporting a decrease in wealthy art spenders, local art galleries are finding art buyers are more invested in the artists and requesting more commission pieces, customized framing and large-scale works — resulting in a bigger spend.
Chelsea Norris, co-director of Ann Connelly Fine Art, says the average price per unit has increased as more customers have requested bespoke works since the pandemic. The prices have also been affected by the rising cost of goods and shipping over the years.
“Since COVID-19, architecturally speaking, homes have gotten larger in scale,” Norris says. “That has changed the way that we procure artwork. We’re doing a lot more commission-based work, which before we didn’t do as much. Everything has become more custom. People are thriving on the idea of artistry and the maker. It seems like there was a renaissance of appreciating beautiful things, especially in your home life, and that seems to have led to a more custom approach to the artwork.”
As demand for larger work increased, Ann Connelly Fine Art started selling larger works readily available in the gallery. The company has also switched from hand-cutting frame mats to using a computerized mat cutter to increase the volume of frames they can prepare. In the last three years, the gallery has also been diversifying the artists it represents to include sculptural elements, non-traditional media, and more progressive and contemporary works.
“The clientele is changing,” Norris says. “It’s younger, it’s more bold and less inhibited by trends. They want more things that speak to them. So we’re trying to respond by bringing in fresh, exciting things for people who crave that.”
Jason Andreason, president and chief executive officer of Baton Rouge Gallery, says he has also observed more art buyers seeking more “adventurous” pieces and shying away from more commonly sold art styles.
While the gallery hasn’t experienced a significant change in big spenders, Andreason says there has been a rise in inquiries about purchasing original art since the pandemic. In 2022, the gallery began offering delivery services to art collectors within 22.5 miles of Baton Rouge Gallery. It also started using ArtPlacer, an app that allows potential art collectors to see how the art looks in their home true to scale.
“There is a shrinking base of people who can afford those big art purchases,” Andreason says about the dwindling high-dollar art sales in the global art market. “It feels like there’s often the discussion of the art market geared towards the flashy sale at an auction or big-name artists. But in reality, when you think of the art market as a whole, there’s far more commerce happening outside of that realm. There’s more talk now of valuing and supporting younger and emerging artists being something that collectors enjoy doing.”
