Katharine Earnhardt – How to Advise Your Clients on Art

Today we have Katharine Earnhardt on the show! She’s the Founder of Mason Lane Art Advisory, a Brooklyn-based company that styles walls with art and objects to fit client’s taste, space and budget.

Keeping up with the art world inventory, resources and pricing is a full-time job, and Katharine explains how designers can get support in this area so they can appropriately source and pitch the right art to clients.

Katharine has a B.A. in Art History and Economics from Williams College and an M.A. in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute. Katharine has experience working in the Management office of the Museum of Modern Art, in business development at Christie’s, and leading the business development team at a international art appraisal and advisory firm, Gurr Johns. Katharine is well versed in Art History and art market dynamics and works with designers through by straight referrals as well as through her trade program called Mason Lane Partners (MLP).

Listen in to find out more about the kind of assistance that Katharine offers to Interior Designers through her boutique art advisory service.

Show Highlights:

• Katharine talks about her company’s Interior Design Forum, called In The Maoson, that she hosts in her living room. It’s a really great networking opportunity!

• The pain points around buying art, that Katharine helps and educates Interior Designers and her clients with.
• How Katharine helps people to spend wisely when buying art.
• The aspects of art that go beyond the aesthetics, which can really add to the quality of the piece and also to how one feels about the work.
• The value in educating your client about the meaning behind an artwork and what drives price.
• Sometimes a client doesn’t need new art, they could just rearrange, or re-frame what they already have.
• The ideal height to hang your artworks- a great place to start!
• Katharine’s upcoming Webisode, where she goes through the kinds of problems that Designers tend to face when advising their clients about art. Go to masonlaneart.com to sign up.
• Why Katharine created her Webisode.
• Some great tips for you, from Katharine’s Webisode.
• The best places for you, as Designers, to source art.
• Some great online resources for art.
• What you will get from working with Mason Lane.
• How Mason Lane’s services save Interior Designers money and time.
• A really fun rule, around the use of color, form, and design.
• Coordinating the light fixtures with the art.
• A frame can really make or break a piece of art!
• Some tips for creating professional-looking gallery walls- they really take a lot of planning.

Links:

Katharine’s website: http://www.masonlaneart.com