The list is currently limited to Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Palm Beach and San Francisco, but it is growing and expanding quickly, so it would be wise to keep an eye on this site as it moves into new geographic regions.
The Clarion List currently has 23 art service categories, covering everything from galleries to appraisers, and including but not limited to insurers, framers, art funds, logistics, lenders, and auction houses.The category list is rather inclusive for allied art professionals.
It is well worth visiting the site to see if you can claim a listing as well as registering for news and updates. There are currently nearly 2,500 art service providers listed.
Click HERE to visit the Clarion List.
The new site was recently featured in Forbes and the Observer, so word of the site is getting to collectors and to appraisers and allied art professionals.
Forbes and the Observer reports
Source: ForbesGaia Banovich and Jessica Paindiris thought they had landed dream jobs as managers at Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services, a subsidiary of the world’s largest art auction house. With yearly sales above $3.5 billion and a staggering list of worldwide clients, Christie’s would appear to be a well-resourced hub for everything art collectors and sellers might need.
Not so. Banovich and Paindiris soon discovered that the art market often was opaque and sourcing vendors relied on word of mouth.
There are two common inquiries at an art auction house: how the right collectors and sellers can match and how to preserve valuable art requiring very particular services. Christie’s, it turned out, did not readily have the resources to offer recommendations. And without a reliable online database for such needs, managers like Banovich and Paindiris would have to rely on their personal connections. They would politely step away from a client or say they would call back, and then begin phoning colleagues for suggestions. Sometimes, Banovich said, the recommended services were not the best quality but stale gambles.
“The last time I spoke with that person was three or four years ago,” a colleague would tell Banovich. “I don’t know if they’re still in business. When you contact them, can you let me know? I need to update my rolodex as well.” The art business deals relics, but, as Paindris said, these managers realized it needed to be brought into “the 21st century and share knowledge online.”
On Monday, Banovich and Paindiris launched The Clarion List, an online directory of high-quality art service providers with ratings and reviews. “This was previously an unavailable resource,” Paindiris explained. “We really wanted to democratize the art world.”
Clarion List has 23 art service categories, from art consultants and art storage to private art dealers and art appraisers, with more than 2,400 companies available in six markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Palm Beach and San Francisco). Searches can be refined by location, art specialty, years of experience, company size and rating. The ratings and reviews feature enables the art community to publicly comment on the quality of these companies. Paindiris said the plan is to continually increase the resources based on research and user suggestions. “This is a living, breathing database that is constantly being updated to help our audience.”
Paindiris offered several scenarios that Clarion List makes easier for art collectors and services: collectors may not realize exactly what they need to protect their art and can learn from the site; a user can pursue a new investment with the site’s 22 art fund managers; with 18 art leasing categories, the site shows companies that temporarily install an impressive piece of art instead of paying the sales price to own it; the site boasts insurers and insurance brokers, lighting specialists and art movers, and lenders who can lend against the collection while often letting an owner keep the artwork at home; for litigation, the site displays 74 law firms; appraisers and consultants help navigate with the collection upon death of the collector; and for divorces, the site offers private dealers for discreet sales.
Perhaps the coolest offering of all, if artwork is stolen, the site suggests an art recovery service–”Which is really niche,” Paindiris bragged.
The Observer reports
Source: The ObserverArt enthusiasts, collectors, artists and advisors, behold: the Yelp for art services. The first public database of art companies in the U.S. officially launched today. This can’t be bad, right? I mean…
Two former Christie’s executives, Jessica Paindiris and Gaia Banovich, created The Clarion List, which gives art collectors access to reviews of a range of services.
“While we were there [at Christie’s], we noticed that the art market was very opaque,” Ms. Paindiris told the Observer. “We realized everyone was relying on word of mouth or referrals. This is kind of silly. We should welcome the art world to the 21st century.”
Whether you’re looking for an art gallery, a private dealer, an attorney or an art storage provider, The Clarion List has you covered. The founders believe the platform will be helpful to both seasoned collectors and new collectors alike. “Even if you don’t consider yourself an art collector, if you just inherited your parent’s work, the site can be helpful,” Ms. Paindiris said.
While on The Clarion List, clients can search by category, location and featured listings to find exactly what they need in the art world. (Photo: Jessica Paindiris/ The Clarion List)
While on The Clarion List, clients can search by category, location and featured listings to find exactly what they need in the art world. (Photo: Jessica Paindiris/ The Clarion List)
The new platform currently lists companies in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and Palm Beach, Fla. All directory and listings are available for free.
“We’re trying to democratize the art market, and make it accessible and transparent for the first time,” Ms. Paindiris explained. A lofty goal to be sure, but one that no regulatory agency or governmental body has yet accomplished. Still, the internet is pretty amazing.
Besides providing a list of services, The Clarion List also includes ratings and reviews. Ms. Paindiris refers to it as the “Yellow Pages” of art information, adding that it’s the first time the art community has been able to publicly comment on these companies.
The new website also includes a blog called The Clarion Circle that will provide service journalism for would-be art collectors.
“We felt that there’s a lot of blogs and new sources out there about art, artists and art values, but what was lacking was more of an educational component,” Ms. Paindiris said. Besides aggregated articles, the Clarion Circle also includes original content written by the co-founders.
The Clarion List plans to expand to other markets soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment