Elsa Åkesson in Conversation with Founder of Art of Choice, Olivia Davis

Sotheby’s Institute alumni, Olivia Davis, is the founder of Art Of Choice - an art advisory specializing in both buying and selling art. Growing up in Manhattan and today living in Los Angeles, Olivia Davis offers a ‘no bullshit approach to art’ by combining two approaches; working directly with collectors to build a valuable art collection, secondly, using the website and social media platforms as a curatorial space to share content such as interviews, exhibition reviews and much more.  

MADE IN BED’s Editor-In-Chief, Elsa Akesson, speaks to Olivia about opening her business Art Of Choice, her experience as an art advisor and visions for the future.  

Olivia Davis.

Elsa Akesson: Thank you very much for being amongst us today for this interview. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you, to share your experience on opening your own business in the art world sector.  

Why did you decide to open an art advisory service to begin with? 

Olivia Davis: I did not necessarily have a strict or set plan to open an advisory. I studied art history at Boston University and went into the Sotheby’s program right after graduating. 

During my time as a Sotheby’s student, I was exposed to many new and interesting things in the art world. Great trips like Art Basel Miami and TEFAF in Maastricht inspired me to create an Instagram account to document what I was seeing. My Instagram received recognition and gradually important collectors approached me, asking if the work I was promoting was for sale. I started to consider the role of an art dealer. 

After the Sotheby’s program, I worked for galleries and an art advisor [and] built up my own clientele and relationships across the world. As my network grew [and I] cultivated strong relationships with influential dealers, artists and collectors, I knew it was time to break off on my own and establish my own company. 

EA: What were the challenges you encountered along the way, and how long did it take for your business to become profitable? 

OD: I was really lucky with the profit side of things, when I launched the business and started to grow it on Instagram, [there were not a] lot of art accounts [around] yet. I was early to the trend of sharing art over social media and that really enabled me to network and cultivate relationships with collectors and galleries. Running an advisory [comprises] two parts - the clients and the people that are going to sell you the works. With many artists, everyone wants the same thing; you rely on these relationships with galleries because you want them to offer you a work over another advisor. That addresses the first part of the question; the biggest [challenge] to date is forming those relationships with galleries and strengthening those relationships so [that] you can be competitive. Everyone wants to buy the same kind of thing and there is only so much that goes around. 

EA: How did you first start building a database for your business? 

OD: I learned a lot working in galleries after graduating from the Sotheby’s program. All those experiences forged a path for me and connected me with important people in the art world. I found that when you have a big name behind you, people pay attention to you, rather than [if you are] someone that no one knows; this really helped me build up a database. When I went out on my own everyone was already familiar with me from past professional roles. 

EA: What would you say are the most important places an art adviser should go to network, meet potential clients and discover talent? 

OD: Definitely art fairs; if you are starting out anywhere in the art world, go to every art fair. It is a lot of travelling but it is educational, and you meet interesting people - it is a place to spread your wings. The one place where every gallery from around the world is under one roof. It is like Barney’s but with fine art. 

EA: What is your favourite part of being an art adviser? 

OD: I think that has changed a lot; recently [it is] learning about younger artists and collecting myself whereas if you had asked me the same question when I first started out, meeting interesting collectors would have been my favourite part.  

Right now, I have over 50 inquiries from people wanting to work with me, but I am one person. The interest is incredibly flattering and hard earned, I have a great track record of finding younger artists before their market starts to skyrocket. I would say that is my specialty, but I also do Post-war and secondary sales. What I enjoy is connecting with these artists when they are first starting out and growing with them. I am also young in the industry, so when I first started out, I was extremely excited to meet all the talent. Now [that] I am getting more settled it is more about being able to grow my own collection and supporting the artists I [would] like to learn [more] about from an early stage. 

EA: You manage everything on your own. It must be a lot of work! 

OD: Yes, I have interns that help me with the content side of things. Art of Choice is the only art advisory with an editorial platform - our website. We also have a newsletter that goes out monthly. We developed a platform to share interviews and promote a ‘no bull-shit approach’ to art, making it easy to understand and accessible to everyone. So, on that side, I do not do that by myself. I have writers interning, who create and publish the content. The part that I do by myself is what sustains the business - that would be the private side, where I work individually with collectors to help build valuable collections - that is a lot of work. I also do collection management, overseeing shipping and insurance. My clients are based all over the world: LA, New York, London, Paris. They are all very personal relationships that I have with my clients, and it is hard for me to pass this on to someone else. 

EA: You are currently based in Los Angeles - is there a high interest in art collecting locally? 

OD: LA has become an important city for the art world, a lot of people realized this when Frieze decided to host an art fair here that is now in its third year. A lot of artists came out here when studio space in New York became so expensive; now they are looking at other cities because they are being priced out of LA as well. The lifestyle is also more appealing, there is a big creative community here, I feel like New York kind of lacks that. New York is this classic institutional place, the museums and galleries there are established and entrenched. In LA, you find a younger energy, it is an interesting place to be and start a business in. New galleries are being established, there is a lot going on. I would not say LA is better than New York, its more [that] the two are completely different. For a young individual starting a company it was beneficial to be here, versus New York. 

Olivia Davis.

EA: You grew up in New York and previously worked there - could you tell us a bit about the two different art scenes and how their art markets differ? 

OD: I came to LA to do the Sotheby’s program. I thought it would be a valuable experience, for four months; at the end of the program, I was offered a very good position at a wonderful gallery and decided to stay for another six months before going back to New York. After that I received opportunity after opportunity until I found myself here. It has now been four and a half years, but I will end up back in New York eventually. I love LA - but I love New York too.  

Going back to the market, New York, as you know, is easier to get around. When there is an opening on one street there are plenty of other galleries in walking distance whose shows you can also visit - that I think is a huge advantage New York has over a city like LA. In LA you drive everywhere - there is a gallery downtown, there is a gallery in Beverly Hills - that is forty-five minutes in-between the two. Realistically, you do not end up having that same kind of experience you have on a night in New York. New York is set up better for networking in the art world, it is more sociable. LA, I feel, is a better place if you are specifically interested in younger artists and building your own company; there is a more open-minded attitude towards younger businesses than there is in New York. 

EA: Do you have a preference between the two art scenes, and if so, why? 

OD: In terms of artists, I do not really have a preference between the two art worlds. You get to this point where eventually you start to see the same things in New York and LA. I am from New York, and a New Yorker at heart. I am more acclimated to that fast pace of life. For that reason, I prefer the environment in New York; I thrive on the pace, how you can go to one gallery and see potentially ten others at the same time. LA is much more laid back and casual. 

EA: As an art advisor, what is the most challenging part of your job? 

OD: I would say making all my clients happy. As I mentioned earlier, everyone wants the same thing. If there is one painting and fifteen clients interested, how do you choose which client to sell it to? The hardest part is managing allocation while also trying to make everyone happy at the same time. 

EA: What are some of your future visions for Art Of Choice?  

OD: We are working on a clothing line, different exclusive drops of merchandise - hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts. What I really love about Art of Choice is that we have grown quite a following of young people, who are interested in learning about art. The reason I did the content platform, and the reason we share news is because I know that not everyone can afford to buy art. I do not necessarily love the closed-door attitude that is in the nature of the Fine Art industry. It is important to give people that may not have the money now, but could have the money later, an opportunity to be a part of the community that I am growing. The merchandise was born out of that. It is fun to have a following that want to be a part of Art of Choice and what it does. Especially [in] this generation everyone loves collecting hats and clothing - it is a fun way to be engaged. That is where the concept came from. We are just trying to grow a community outside of private sales. 

EA: What advice do you have to give to the new generation just entering the art market, looking to open their own art advisory?  

OD: If you have not worked for a gallery or an advisor try to do some sort of internship; it is very hard to start on your own without any past experience. It is really important to have under your belt a diverse range of experiences in the art world - doing a summer internship at Sotheby’s or Christie’s - any auction house really. I think working for a dealer for one summer or working for a gallery for a summer is really important before you can start your own company. I would also suggest that you network as much as possible - form as many relationships as you can with anyone in the art world. 

Thank you very much, Olivia!  

Image courtesy of Olivia Davis. 

Find out more about Art Of Choice here.  

Elsa Akesson, 

Editor-in-Chief, MADE IN BED