Buying Art When Travelling

Purchasing art by local artists while abroad is a terrific way to support the economy of the country you’re visiting. Art is also an enduring visual reminder of your travels that offers more than, say, a fridge magnet. I reached out to a few people in my real life and online network for art-buying stories and advice on how to make a wise purchase while travelling.

Steve in Lebanon – Giving Back to Community

We have one significant piece of art on our wall that Steve purchased while travelling in Beirut more than a decade ago. He was volunteering for an organization that pairs international specialized technology professionals with IT workers in emerging markets to transfer skills and expand business development. The organization provided Steve with a daily stipend for expenses, but he had a significant amount remaining at the end of his two-week stint.

He passed a shop daily that displayed a colourful painting in the window. He loved the vibrant, impressionist style and decided to purchase it with the remainder of his stipend. “It didn’t seem right to me to come home from a volunteer gig with money in my pocket,” explains Steve, “so I thought purchasing this art was a way to leave the funds in the local economy.” The painting had not been framed or mounted, so despite its large size, Steve could bring the canvas home on the plane in a protective tube.

Now, I LOVE this painting, and it adorns a central wall in our home. I would not, however, recommend purchasing art without the input of your spouse. Well, I don’t know if that’s a hard and fast rule. It worked out in our case.

Kemi in Costa Rica – Supporting Indigenous Artists

New York-based travel blogger Kemi writes about culture and sustainable practices over at Musings and Adventures. This past February, she was unknowingly enjoying her last trip before pandemic restrictions kicked in. Soaking up the sun on Playa Tamarindo in Costa Rica, a local man approached her with two paintings of birds. “What caught my eye,” states Kemi, “were the feather plumes and colourful but simple outlines of the local landscape—minimalist but eye-catching.”

Kemi strives to support local and indigenous people as part of her sustainable travel approach. The fact that the artist who approached her on the beach was indigenous was an extra incentive for her to support his work. She says that between her Duolingo Spanish and their hand gestures, she agreed on a price with the artist to acquire the pieces. “I try not to negotiate too low when buying from local people, especially if they are from a marginalized demographic.”

Kemi maintains that you don’t have to have deep pockets to buy local art. “If you have the funds, you might prefer to buy art from local galleries that exhibit established or national artists,” she says. “But depending on the place, many low-income gifted artists hang out in tourist hotspots.” She points out that going this route is often much more affordable and ensures that 100% of the funds are going to the artist.

Today, those two bird portraits sit on Kemi’s desk on either side of a cut-out portrait of her. “Whenever I look at them, I think back to the last time I was abroad and living it up without realizing that a month later, things would be upside down!”

Lynda in China – The Value of the Story Behind the Art

Lynda Gilchuk is a former colleague of mine and lives in Winnipeg. She is a mixed media artist, and she suggested the topic of this blog post (thanks, Lynda!). Several years ago, a friend of Lynda’s who used to live in China arranged a group trip there starting in Beijing and travelling by train and motor home to surrounding regions.

“One night, after attending an incredible performance at the Beijing Opera House, we came upon a group of artists selling their work on the way out,” recalls Lynda. One young woman was painting a charcoal landscape using only her hand and fingernails. She spoke some English and explained that she learned the technique from her father, who made a living selling his art. “I was delighted to buy one of her pieces,” says Lynda. The two agreed upon a price by passing a calculator between them. Lynda had the piece matted and framed upon her return home, and it now hangs in her bedroom.

On the last afternoon of her trip, the group stopped at an antique market, featuring hundreds of stalls of every imaginable item for sale. Most of the vendors had travelled from outlying villages to be at the market. At one table that grabbed her attention, Lynda engaged a young woman, her husband and the women’s mother in conversation. Using their limited English, they showed Lynda several lovely things. Unfortunately, she had very little local currency left and could not come up with the amount each time the family displayed a price on a calculator.

Finally, Lynda emptied her pockets on the table, explaining that it was all that she had to spend, which she says wasn’t much. After searching through a stack of items underneath the table, the young woman emerged with a beautiful child’s hat that was as intricate on the inside as it was on the outside. She explained that it was very old and that someone in her village had created it. Lynda fell in love with it instantly. The young woman and her mother hugged Lynda in thanks for the purchase.

When she travels, Lynda always tries to find local artwork she can purchase on a limited budget. She says that the stories that go along with the pieces she brought home with her from China make them special.

Periklis in Greece – An Art Vendor’s Perspective

Periklis Tsiagkouris offers another perspective on the subject of art and travel. He runs two family-owned shops on the island of Santorini in Greece. The oldest, called Delphini, was founded in 1986 and is located in the village of Oia. The second is called Votsalo, located in Fira, and was acquired in 2016. Both shops specialize in museum reproductions. “We carry copies of prehistoric and ancient pottery and paintings, bronze statues inspired by Greek mythology and modern ceramics,” states Periklis. He explains that he has long-standing relationships with artists based in workshops all over Greece.

I asked Periklis, a relative of a Santorini local I met on a tour of the Ionian Islands, for any advice he has for those who want to purchase art on a trip. He suggests that the most interesting shops that sell art are often down backroads and side streets. “The way to find the best and most meaningful art is by getting lost and exploring,” he says.

In keeping with his philosophy, Periklis does not have websites for his shops, preferring that his customers find them on their own. “Most of the items we sell are unique, and as a result, we have many repeat customers who have created large collections.” Part of his success, he believes, is the result of never pressuring customers in their purchases, ensuring they buy pieces they won’t regret.

As for how to handle the sometimes challenging task of bringing art back home from travel, Periklis quips, “If you haven’t worried about how to get the art home safely, you haven’t bonded with it.” He says if the piece is large, fragile, or awkward, it’s best to get the artist or shop owner to ship it to you.

Periklis says he always buys a piece of art, big or small when he travels. He has two paintings that are his favourites, which he found unexpectedly in Lyon, France, when wandering around the city.

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