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July 12, 2002
Assembling your own museum
Panelists offer advice on protecting and appraising your works
of art.
PAT JOHNSON REPORTER
One does not need to be wealthy – or an expert – to acquire
a meaningful collection of Judaica or other works of art. That was
the message from a panel discussion featuring noted collector Rabbi
Yosef Wosk, as well as professional and avocational appreciators
of art.
Heritage in Your Home: Developing a Judaic/Art Collection was emceed
by art gallery owner Linda Lando and sponsored by the Jewish Community
Centre of Greater Vancouver in conjunction with the exhibit currently
on display in the JCC's Zack Gallery. The exhibit, Textured Images,
contains remarkable pieces from Wosk's personal collection. (A review
of the show can be found in the June 28 Web archives.) The panel
discussion June 27 was filled with useful information for people
who have begun or are considering obtaining pieces of personal or
financial value.
Wosk provided a slide presentation of aspects of his collection,
sharing, as he had a week earlier at the exhibit opening, his infectious
enthusiasm for collecting.
"Collecting is wonderful," he said wryly. "But it
can also be dangerous."
Art can be addictive, he warned the audience, and once you begin
collecting – particularly if you specialize in one or two areas
– it can be very difficult to pass up an item that is offered.
Wosk elaborated on his theory that collecting is not just a privilege,
but an obligation. Most art will last longer than the average human
life, he said, and that means the collector is, in a sense, merely
a temporary protector. Owning or admiring a work of art that will
exist after our own passing can also give one a sense of mortality,
he added.
The rabbi also compared the collecting of art to the celebration
of Shabbat. Surrounding oneself with desirable objects helps define
one's sense of place as well as time and gives definition and meaning
to the mundane, which has parallels to the sanctity of the Sabbath,
he said.
Wosk's collection extends far beyond Judaica – it even includes
Dickensian winter villages that proved irresistible to him, despite
their association with Christmas. He amused the audience of about
50 in the Norman Rothstein Theatre by relating how he has been known
to break off Santa Clauses and use a file to remove traces of the
distinctly non-Jewish figure from the sculptures.
He also displayed his sense of whimsy with a photo of a hallway
in his home that has a solemn Persian carpet with religious motifs
next to a neon sculpture of a cartoon character named Lucky Duck.
Beth Wolchok, conservation assistant at the Vancouver Art Gallery,
advised the audience how to care for their valuables. There are
some simple steps one can take to preserve items, including storing
them in plastic, airtight containers wrapped in acid-free paper.
Wood and cardboard emit acids that can harm delicate works, she
said. Protective items need not be expensive, she noted, citing
easily available Rubbermaid-brand storage containers as preferable
to cardboard or wooden boxes.
Improper matting around paintings can "burn" the original
work, she said, referring to the discoloration that can occur where
the mat meets the canvas.
A serious concern, she added, is sunlight. Though we may enjoy the
way our art appears in the light of day, sun can discolor and damage
our works. UV-blocking film can be purchased for windows, but it
may be easier and as effective to keep curtains closed in midday
or put sensitive artwork in the hallway.
Collectors on the West Coast should survey their collection with
an eye to possible earth tremors, she said. Fragile items like vases
can be secured using museum wax: an adhesive that will hold an item
in place, but which is also easily removable.
Norma Young, owner of Fine Art Appraisal Service, stressed the need
to have a proper cataloguing of one's collection. In the event of
a catastrophe such as a house fire, minute details such as hallmarks
or artists' signatures may be the only thing that will ensure proper
remuneration from the insurance company. She also warned collectors
against some common mistakes.
"Do not allow the insurance company to set the value of your
assets," she said. Unlike houses or wardrobes, which have a
formulaic replacement value, antiques and art have no such formula.
Only an appraisal can determine their value. And be careful to read
the fine print on insurance policies. Young said some insurers depreciate
most assets, but the financial value of art tends to appreciate
with age.
Canadian governments do not regulate the appraisal industry so the
best way to find a reputable appraiser is through word of mouth
from a trusted collector or dealer. Get references, she said. Avoid
appraisers whose fees are based on a percentage of the total appraised
value of the collection: this ploy obviously leads to a plumping
of appraised values.
It sometimes takes an outside eye to see the real value in someone's
home, Young said. Clients often welcome her to their home and take
her straight to the articles they think are valuable, while there
are unrecognized treasures sitting precariously atop bookshelves.
Jean Gerber, a volunteer who was given responsibility for Beth Israel's
museum when Rabbi Wilfred and Phyllis Solomon made aliyah, told
the audience she was proof positive that one does not need to be
an expert to appreciate and care for an impressive Judaica collection.
She has relied on experts in the community, including the Vancouver
Jewish Historical Society, to advise her and has also made numerous
forays to other cities to see how Jewish institutional art collections
have been assembled elsewhere.
On a recent trip to Israel, she was warned by other collectors and
by reputable dealers that there is a significant and growing trade
in what she politely called "reproduction" Judaica, right
down to the apparently authentic hallmarks. Though this unfortunate
phenomenon led Gerber to return to Canada without making any purchases
for her collection, she said there are ways to ensure authenticity,
especially through the use of reputable dealers at home and abroad.
She urged individual collectors, however, to use their instincts.
Something may not have enormous resale value, but that does not
mean it can't become part of a family collection that holds special
personal meaning.
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