A Thriving Secondary Market for Canadian Contemporary Art

A founding principle of Concrete Contemporary Auctions

Art collectors run the gamut, from serious and scholarly to those looking merely for the whimsical, offbeat or decorative. One common trait shared among all collectors is passion. Buying art, whether it be for the living room or the gallery wall is a serious pursuit, honed by looking at dozens or hundreds of works and years spent refining the eye.

For many collectors, one of the most important aspects of long term collecting is being able to refresh their collection by adding new works and shedding others in order to keep up with their own evolving tastes, current trends in the market or life circumstances.

This is where the importance of a thriving secondary market comes into play. While many, in fact, most collectors are not buying art for investment, the ability to trade up or trade off is an important part of how the art economy works. With our institutions becoming increasingly selective about what works they are able to purchase or accept for donation, the market plays an even more critical role.

This was and is one of the founding principles of Concrete Contemporary Auctions, pioneered by Waddington’s seven years ago. Canadian Contemporary Art is blessed with an abundance of spectacularly talented artists, celebrated from coast to coast to coast. However, our population and geography make for widely disparate markets cross the country. With our offerings and our presence in both Toronto and Vancouver, we are working to bridge this gap.

Concrete Contemporary Auction, april 27 – May 2

Our contemporary auction this spring once again highlights some of our most significant art makers from across the country. We endeavor to be gender inclusive and quality is always the most important factor for inclusion in our auctions. The criteria for inclusion in the auctions are generally representation in both the private and public spheres of the art world, allowing collectors to focus on both risk taking and more established artists.

We welcome you to our three days of public previews on April 26, 28 and 29 at Waddington’s.

Special Walkthrough – April 28

We are also pleased to offer you a special walkthrough of the collection I will be conducting on April 28 at 11.30 am. Please join us for coffee, croissants and an intimate look at our personal favourites from the collection.

RSVP to Stacey Blouin at [email protected].

To find out more about lot 76, an Untitled work by Greg Curnoe, featured above – and other lots in the auction please: View Gallery

Thank you for your continued support of Canadian Contemporary Art.