Sharon Corgan Leeber
Founder
Sharon Corgan Leeber, founder of AAC, has been widely acknowledged as an expert in arts management, acquisition, and policy for over 30 years. She has worked with hundreds of major international companies and civic entities to articulate goals in art investing, implement collections policy and design arts awareness programs. Leeber has extensive experience incorporating arts policy into master planning for cities including Fort Worth, TX and Denver, CO. She helped establish Glendale, Arizona’s Percent for Art program, originated the master plan for the City of Wylie’s Art in Public Places program, and served as a revitalization consultant for the City of Wichita, KS, the Village of Oak Park, IL, and State of Wyoming Tourist Development, Jackson Hole.
Leeber has selected, commissioned, and managed public art projects for numerous cities, municipal authorities, neighborhood associations, and real estate developments and has published widely for the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks, The American Society of Landscape Architects, and the Society for College and University Planning. She has been a frequent speaker at Urban Land Institute (ULI) conferences and YPO events and is a member of the International Women’s Forum. Leeber’s initial career was as an acclaimed sculptor; her work is in major museum and private collections in the U.S.
Jennifer Perrell Lewis
Principal
Jennifer Perrell Lewis joined AAC as a principal in 2016, with a past career as a curator and exhibit developer in the field of contemporary art. She has over 20 years’ experience working with museums and artist studios, and has developed over 140 exhibitions in the United States and 19 foreign countries. Jennifer has special expertise in public art, traveling exhibitions, and commissions, and has been involved in the commissioning and development of over 35 civic art projects.
Earlier in her career, Lewis was Director of Exhibitions for Dale Chihuly in Seattle, WA, and wrote numerous museum and educational texts and critique. Prior to her scholarly and leadership positions Lewis was a preparator and installer in art museums. This combination of practical and scholarly experience informs her present work acquiring artwork and managing commissions for civic, corporate, and private clients. Lewis is a member of ULI and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). She holds a Master of Arts in Museology (Museum Science) from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Tufts University, Medford, MA.
What is an art advisor and what role do they play in the art market?
Advisors help private and corporate collectors buy art by offering a variety of services that simplify the acquisition process.
Advisors help real estate developers and cities by providing access to artists who can work within a stated budget, on time, and with necessary quality. After guiding the selection process, advisors contract with artists, and manage their production within the framework of overall construction.
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To put it simply, an art advisor educates the client, helps focus their interest, and provides access to the best quality artworks within a given budget. When you use a qualified advisor, you’re acquiring a vast trove of knowledge that’s been cultivated over years of looking at art, analyzing sales, and understanding the inner workings of the market.
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As the contemporary market has grown, more collectors are chasing a finite number of works by recognized artists or hot up-and-comers, and they want to be sure that they're making the right choice. “There are a lot of novice collectors who don't realize that you can't run through doors and make your first purchase,” dealer David Zwirner told the New York Times in 2006. “Primary market galleries like us often have a three-year waiting list. We’re very picky."
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With rising demand, galleries often sell only to their most loyal or high profile clients, making it difficult for new buyers to get access to desirable works. A respected advisor on the other hand uses their connections to help facilitate access to artworks reserved for loyal repeat customers.
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Beyond providing access to elusive artworks, advisors also help refine their clients taste and introduce them to dealers, artists, and other experts. Ultimately, an advisor brings expertise and connoisseurship: the ability to distinguish a great work of art over an okay work of art by the same artist, and the ability to look outside of trends and identify areas of interest and quality that are not obvious.
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Courtesy of Artnet News