Financial constraints or being bored easily are two reasons that keep people from outfitting the walls of their homes with museum-quality artwork. Easing the commitment to a single piece of coveted artwork is CoCollect, an art membership that allows people to curate their homes with high-end work on loan that can be rotated out yearly.
Founded by UT alum Keli Hogsett in late 2022, they offer three membership options, each with ongoing education on the pieces borrowed and white glove installation.
“I started CoCollect after I couldn’t find an answer to my own problem — I wanted to live with art while I learned about it,’ Keli told Austin Lifestyle, adding, “Building a meaningful collection should take a lot of time, thought and patience. I was trepidatious about investing in art while I knew I was still learning, and at the same time wasn’t willing to spend money at big box stores just to get something on the walls. After searching for an outlet to loan art from museums and coming up short, CoCollect was born.”
Different member levels include:
-The Local Level where members get 3 works below $10,000. Named local because of a large offering of artwork from talented artists living and working in Austin, some artists you may recognize include Tammie Rubin, Tom Jean Webb and Xavier Schipani. They also have artworks available at this level that are sourced out of state.
The Collector Level and Patron Levels members receive 4-7 pieces and access to pieces valued at $10,000 to $35,000. Artworks in this tier can range from established regional artists like Chuck Ramirez, Claire Oswalt and Matt Kleberg, to post-war abstract expressionists like Michael Goldberg, to blue-chip artists like Robert Rauchenberg and Ellsworth Kelly.
They also have artworks available over $35k, which they offer at custom membership rates. These include works from well-known artists like Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder and Donald Judd and practicing well-known contemporary artists.
Currently only available in Austin, they have plans to expand throughout Texas and then go national. Keli says there is about $1 million of artwork currently on loan or headed to members and they boast a 100% renewal rate. Looking ahead, “I want CoCollect to be perceived as a collecting museum, where members can exhibit the art collection in their homes,” Keli says, “As we grow, we plan to roll out more educational programs that support our members and surrounding communities.”
Learn more at: cocollect.art
