The Art Subscription Project

I received an email a week or so ago from a company called The Present Group who wanted to let me know about their art subscription service. To be honest I was rather sceptical about the purchasing art by subscription

I received an email a week or so ago from a company called The Present Group who wanted to let me know about their art subscription service. To be honest I was rather sceptical about the purchasing art by subscription but after further investigation I have to say that I am rather impressed with what the Present Group have to offer. According to their website “The Present Group is like a mutual fund that produces art instead of profits. As a private grant-giving organization, it enables a community of subscribers to support contemporary artists and receive original artwork in return.” A subscription costs only $150 a year for which you receive four limited edition works of art (quarterly) along with information about the artwork and a certificate of authenticity. What impresses me most about this project is the amount of time and effort that has seemingly been put into finding great artists to work with as well as producing collectible and desirable works of art. The focus and purpose of the project is obviously to promote emerging artists and not just to make money which really gives credibility to the project. Looking through the past editions that have been sent to subscribers I can honestly say that they are the sort of works that I would consider purchasing myself and would recommend to other collectors. In fact, I can’t believe that they can provide such great works of art for such a small price. At present the edition sizes are under 100 which is small enough to be collectible and it is part of the companies agreement with the artists that the project will not be reproduced which means that each art piece represents a connection between a specific artist, a specific group of subscribers, and a specific place in time. All in all The Present Group’s art subscription service is the perfect way to begin collecting art or a fun way of adding to an existing collection. For an annual subscription fee of $150, Present Group subscribers receive: + four limited edition works of art by four different contemporary artists + a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity for each piece + supplemental material contextualizing the edition + the honor of helping to bring these works into the world + the esteem of all their friends For more information check out thepresentgroup.com **Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications