By Ross Parker

For nearly 30 years, my fine art company, Call of Africa's Native Visions Galleries has built its reputation by serving the needs of both beginning and seasoned art collectors.

Whenever I talk with clients one thing always becomes clear:  Art has the power to change people’s lives and inspire them in ways that few other objects do. It’s a rare accomplishment indeed to say that you own the only one of its kind in the world.  But that’s exactly what you get when you buy an original work of art. At our galleries in Ft. Lauderdale and Naples, Florida, we specialize in African subject matter. The group of painters and sculptors we represent is unsurpassed.  Notably, their works have adorned the covers of Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction catalogs and been prestigiously included in museum tours across the U.S.

Why buy art?

Collecting art is about far more than putting a visual trophy on the wall or a new car in the garage. Art reflects our enduring values; it speaks to what we love most in the world; it helps us recall experiences that live large in our imaginations; it enhances the kind of cherished memories passed down from one generation to the next; and yes, when collectors apply careful scrutiny with what they buy, art can hold enduring value as a family heirloom.
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Ross Parker, wife Kirsten, and their friend, world-renowned chimp researcher and ecologist Dr. Jane Goodall
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For me, collecting art has always been personally-rewarding. As a native-born Zimbabwean who is today a proud U.S. citizen, I expect authenticity in the works that my wife and I put on the walls in our own home.  The artists that you find in our galleries know the African continent intimately.  David Langmead, Kim Donaldson, Margaret Gradwell, James Stroud, Mopho Gonde, James Tandi, Peter Gray, Shirley Greene, and Jaco Van Schalkwyk have grown up in southern Africa with ready access to the bush. Joining them on our walls are artists like John Seerey-Lester, Loet Vanderveen, Brian Jarvi, Claire Naylor, and Tony Forrest. All crave the wild ambiance that makes Africa such a magical place. Great art does that. It transports you. I have a list of things I tell collectors and it’s relevant, especially now in this economy.

RULE NUMBER ONE is a cardinal tenet interchangeable with Rule Number Two: Buy What You Can Afford, Especially When You Are a Young Or Inexperienced Collector Looking To Acquire Your First Piece. I am constantly on a quest to find outstanding up and coming artists who are at the start of their career and don’t yet command larger prices warranted by established masters who produce only a few works per year. We try to offer a variety of works and a price point for every kind of collector.

RULE NUMBER TWO bears repeating at every step of the way: Buy What You Love; Buy Art That You Want To Live With, And Only Break Rule Number One—Buy What You Can Afford—If An Opportunity to Acquire A Special Piece Presents Itself And May Never Happen Again.  Collecting art is a bit like falling in love. You know it when you feel  it and never know when you’re going to experience the sensation of love at first sight.

RULE NUMBER THREE:  When You Can, Buy An Original.  Over the years we’ve offered high-quality limited edition prints for collectors who can’t afford major works but if given the choice between a print and an original work, I always recommend the latter. It’s profoundly satisfying knowing you own something that is one of a kind.  Buying art isn’t comparable purchasing a new or used car, which usually depreciates the moment you drive it off the lot. Art may—or may not—appreciate in monetary value but what's certain is the longer that you and those around you live with a piece, the more cherished it becomes in ways that have nothing to do with money.

RULE NUMBER FOUR:  Do Research.  Ask Questions.  Find Out More About The Artist.  Read rule number two again. Yes, fall in love with an artist but educate yourself. Buying a piece of art should be approached no differently than the search for a great experience such as a safari or the quest to create a desired living space. The only difference is that art has added emotional value and is often a conversation piece in your home. It can move with you and it can make your memory of an experience or place more vivid. I encourage collectors to delve into the backgrounds and training of artists, getting their hands on auction or sales records and discover if they have won awards and accolades from peers and art critics.  The more informed that a collector is, the better.

RULE NUMBER FIVE:  Educate Yourself On The Gallery. Ask How Long It Has Been In Business And Get References From Other Collectors.  Like it or not, longevity in the art world is worth something.  These are very challenging times for galleries and more go out of business every day.  You want your relationship with the gallery to last and you want to deal with a proprietor who has a proven track record. Since 1986, when I founded our galleries, we’ve served a few generations of clients.

RULE NUMBER SIX:  If You Can, Visit The Gallery Firsthand.  In this day and age, many galleries have gone virtual. I’m not ashamed to say that I’m old fashioned. I believe in offering a physical space where collectors can see art with their own eyes and not only over the Internet. Call of Africa’s Native Visions Galleries has two physical spaces in Ft. Lauderdale and Naples, Florida.  Whenever I can, I like to meet our customers and get to know them on a first name basis.  We regularly have shows in which we bring our artists over from Africa and invite collectors to hear them talk about their work. For two decades, I also have operated portable galleries at Safari Club International and Dallas Safari Club.  Yes, many longstanding clients are avid hunters but just as many are not—some of the latter enjoy going to Safari Club events to find outfitters of photo safaris.

RULE NUMBER SEVEN:  Inquire About What Services A Gallery Offers.  We offer a range of options for people at all stages of collecting.  We ship anywhere in the world, we can help our clients hang pieces in their homes and identify proper lighting techniques to showcase the work, we can help them get the work properly insured through Lloyds of London, and if they’re building a new home or office, we can store the work in a temperature controlled environment until the building is completed.  We also offer custom framing and, of course, if a collector becomes a devotee of a certain artist, we alert them whenever new works are available fresh out of their studio.

RULE NUMBER EIGHT:  Be A Patron To Galleries That Treat You With Respect.  I don’t know how many times I’ve walked into other galleries and encountered rudeness from employees.  All they wanted to do was make a sale. Buying art is an important decision whether you’re doing it for the first time or adding to your collection.  Clients deserve to be treated with respect and kindness, not like buffoons who feel like they’re being condescended to.  No question is too stupid to ask. All questions are smart questions.


Margaret Gradwell's 'After The Rain'

RULE NUMBER NINE:  Buy Art For The People You Love In Your Life.   Believe me, your loved ones will always value the art that you bought for them.  If you can, use the art-buying experience as an opportunity for personal bonding. I have several clients who go on safari to Africa every year.  Their wives aren’t interested in hunting nor do they want a huge animal head on the wall.  But they do love art. Wildlife art is, for them,  a focal point—where the husband gets a visual reminder of the animals he pursues and the wife has a piece of fine art to help decorate the home.  Collecting is a passion they share. Of course, sometimes, it’s the wife who is the hunter and the husband who wants the art!

RULE NUMBER TEN:  Use Art To Pay Forward Your Values.  It matters to me knowing that the establishments with whom I do businesses give back to their communities or to causes that I believe in. As a lifelong hunter and fisherman, I like to support groups that conserve wildlife habitat and are committed to our Second Amendment right to bear arms.  That’s why I like sharing a percentage of sales with groups that promote conservation.  I also support wildlife rehabilitation centers for animals injured in war-torn countries. Being a military veteran, I also support the Wounded Warrior program that helps U.S. soldiers get the medical attention they need when they come home and tries to get them outdoors where they can enjoy the peace of nature after going through unspeakable trauma on the battlefield.

RULE NUMBER ELEVEN:  You Can’t Take It With You But You Can Leave Something Meaningful and Personal Behind.  Art reminds us of the people who matter in our lives. You’d be surprised how attached families get to art on the walls.  It evokes profound feelings of nostalgia. Art becomes part of the backdrop for living.  Kids and grandkids consider it an honor to inherit a painting or sculpture that gave their elders great joy.  It is part of family heritage.”

RULE NUMBER TWELVE:  Revisit Rules Numbers One And Two, Then Remember That Great Art Speaks To The Heart. I still get spellbound by art.  It stops me dead in my tracks. The art in my own home is there when I get up in the morning, when I come home, and I pass by it when I head to bed at night.  I wouldn’t trade it for the world.


'Fight or Flight' by Peter Gray

RULE NUMBER THIRTEEN: From Adversity Comes Opportunity:  Every successful businessperson I know recognizes that some of the most meaningful opportunities emerge from challenging times. Art isn’t an extravagance. It’s an investment that feeds the soul. Collectors today are benefitting from a buyers' market in fine art. There are some incredible opportunities to own art that did not exist a few years ago. Fortunately, for the artists we represent, all of them are producing the best works of their lives. One of my favorite quotes comes from the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson:  "Love of beauty is taste," he wrote. "The creation of beauty is art."