Academy Art Museum Kicks Off Emerging Collectors Circle

Pictured is Allie Prell, new Chair of the Academy Art Museum’s Emerging Collectors Circle, visiting the Museum’s 2021 Members’ Exhibition.

The Academy Art Museum is thrilled to announce a new initiative for arts appreciators and emerging collectors under age 45 or those who have started to build their collections within the past three years. The Emerging Collectors Circle is a community program that seeks to make collecting art and engaging with the art world more accessible and to generate conversations about living with art.

Local businesswoman Allie Prell, Chair of the Academy Art Museum’s new Emerging Collectors Circle& Co-Owner of Trade Whims in Easton, comments, “I think that there are a lot of creative people in our community and I am looking forward to meeting the people who are going to be a part of this. The goal is to have this be something that is organic and that the people, who are a part of it, help create and make special.”

“Art as a whole, whatever the medium, is a way of expressing creativity – it’s a universal language that can open up doors and take down walls and bring a community together.”

Members of the Emerging Collectors Circle receive one signed limited-edition print by the Museum’s Artist-in-Residence per year, as well as invitations to programming throughout the year, such as curator-led visits to art fairs in the Mid-Atlantic, coffee talks on contemporary art at the Museum, and tailored advice on how to grow an art collection. Those who are exploring the idea of building an art collection or have recently started one are encouraged to join this vibrant community of fellow collectors and learn about opportunities to purchase affordable art. Having or wanting to start an art collection is not a requirement for membership; most of the group’s activities are geared towards fostering a community of individuals who are curious about art and are open to exploring the work of new artists in a wide variety of art mediums such as painting, photography, sculpture, graphic art, and illustration.

“I love the way that I’ve grown my own collection with my husband. Through exposure to our local Plein Air Easton and the Waterfowl Festival, we have purchased pieces we like and when we travel, we try to pick up something specific to that location whenever we can. We started that on our honeymoon,” Prell shares.

She credits her family with influencing her collection, including her mother where art was always in their home and her sister, who is a photographer.

“I love anything that can capture a moment or a feeling. I think that’s one of the reasons why Edward Hopper is my favorite artist. I would say I just love his work because I feel like when I look at it, I can be right there in it. It’s almost like it transports me,” she adds.

Prell shares that she is really excited about where the Academy Art Museum is going right now. She states, “I feel like the new director and curator understand the community and just want to make it better. This program is geared towards my generation on the Shore and will enable me to learn more about our community and to meet the artists who are coming here. It will also help me better understand why I collect and what I collect.”

“We hope to demystify the contemporary art world for people who don’t know how to start collecting or who are just starting to collect. Members will have access to activities every other month, such as a visit to the Smithsonian Craft Show this spring, behind-the-scenes museum tours, and visits to collectors’ homes and artists’ studios. It’s an enriching way to support AAM and artists, and grow as a collector,” states Sarah Jesse, Director of the Academy Art Museum.

“I am really excited to meet more people in this community who appreciate art and artists and are interested in being more involved with the Museum. This new community is a huge step towards our mission to have a wider audience, and through their participation, they support vital and accessible programming at the Museum,” states Mehves Lelic, the Museum’s Curator.

Dues per individual or household for the Emerging Collectors Circle are $250/year and will support evening programming for younger audiences at the Museum. Seasoned collectors are encouraged to join the Museum’s Collection Society. For further information on both, please visit https://bit.ly/AAMCollectionGroups or contact Mehves Lelic, Curator at the Museum at [email protected].