Why Sager Reeves Gallery in Columbia is primed to begin online art auctions

Relatively small in number, the crew behind Columbia's Sager Reeves Gallery knows they can't be all things to all people. But that doesn't deter staff from seeking fresh avenues to transfer their enthusiasm for art and beauty.

"We get really excited about artwork, so we’re always thinking about these ways to spread that excitement to other people," gallery co-owner Joel Sager said. "Different people react in different ways."

The gallery offers something to the curious novice, to the cerebral art lover, to the patron who enjoys moving slowly through an exhibit while sipping a cocktail, Sager said. And with their latest project, Sager Reeves will reach out to the antique hunter, the estate-sale shopper, the collector who likes their art to come with a "rush of adrenaline," he added.

The gallery is set to launch an online art auction platform, and intends to host its first auction before summer's through. Sager and co-owner Hannah Reeves know of similar ventures in Kansas City and St. Louis, but hope to carve their niche here in mid-Missouri.

After mounting their first edition, and making any needed adjustments, the gallery plans to offer auctions quarterly, if not more frequently, Sager said.

Why online art auctions — and why now?

The gallery has experimented with auctions of the live and silent variety; ever refining their ideas, gallery principals feel they're coming around to the "best, most interesting version," Reeves said. A recent redesign of their website made this a fitting time to realize their interest, she added.

The appeal of an auction is clear, they say: presenting a fun, immediately engaging way to collect art. Some favorite pieces in Sager's personal collection came from auctions. These works might not have seemed valuable to others, but held worth to him upon placing them in proper context or learning their backstory, he said.

High-price, high-profile auctions sometimes gain reputations for exclusivity or ruthlessness, Sager acknowledged. He and Reeves believe their gallery's version holds great potential to foster connection. More people, and more kinds of people, can get in on the fun, they said.

Buyers who frequent antique markets and estate sales will recognize the pull, Reeves said. And collectors keeping their eyes on certain artists may encounter pleasant surprises.

"There’s that little promise of a hidden gem and a great deal that is just a different shopper," she said.

What auctions will offer existing gallery clients

Auctions allow the gallery to broaden their existing repertoire of services to clients and collectors, Sager said.

Sager Reeves represents around 100 artists — auctions provide a new means for placing their work in private collections, he said. Also, the gallery increasingly sells work on consignment for other clients and comes alongside estates to help them handle creative artifacts, he said.

Opening the digital auction portal further opens these services to collectors the gallery hasn't yet connected with, Reeves said. And the gallery will be able to offer a personal touch: meeting sellers quite literally where they are to take measurements and high-quality photographs of their pieces, she said, conveying a sense of their true worth.

Auctions will allow gallery staffers to meet more people and have more conversations about art, Reeves said, which is always the true bottom line.

The gallery will likely host a few "peripheral" in-person events around auctions, Sager said, but the buying and selling will always take place online.

Sager and Reeves expressed an expectation that auctions will grow alongside the work of curating and exhibiting, becoming an increasingly key aspect of their business. This faith attaches to ways auctions reflect their existing values.

"Anyone can own original art," Sager said, running through price points across exhibits that can range from thousands of dollars to pieces as low as $35.

"... This is just another way for people to own original artwork, and it makes it a little exciting and a little fun — the exciting thing is the diamond in the rough."

To keep an eye out for auctions and all things gallery-related, visit https://sagerreevesgallery.com/.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Why Sager Reeves Gallery is primed to begin online art auctions