Deep Dive: Cocktails, Collecting, and the Space in the Middle

A local artist’s perspective on Cocktails & Collecting at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Exploring insights from Suzanne Perrault of Rago Auctions, this piece breaks down buyer’s premiums, collecting with intention, and the growing conversation around how emerging artists fit into today’s gallery and auction landscape.

There are lots of layers in the art world. Some built on trust, some on history. Much of it is shaped through legacy and the conversations happening behind the scenes.

Listening to real stories and feedback from Suzanne Perrault of Rago Auctions, alongside leadership from the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, including CEO Charles Shepard, offered a clearer view into how collectors, galleries, and auction houses interact within that structure.

Suzanne pulled back the curtain a bit on buyer’s premiums in the art industry, sharing tios for new art collectors. She noted that new collectors should be aware of fees buyers fees following purchases ranging between10-28%. In wholesale, it's common to see this worked out before buying, so it made an interesting comparison.

In addition to buyer's premiums, she both warned and informed collectors: buy art because you love it, not for the potential resale value. I admire and respect that, especially in a space where, more often than not, there’s no return policy and no guarantee of replication from independent artists.

The weight of value the art industry places on artists who are no longer living is also noteworthy. Legacy plays an important role in shaping any story, but it did cause me to pause.

If so much attention and investment are centered around legacy, how do art galleries and auction houses prepare local artists who are not funded with grants or gallery representation?

What does meaningful local support look like for artists today? For many it's a simple, "please tag me on social media." For others, it's the question: how does membership become mentorship?

There seems to be an emergence that is still being shaped in Fort Wayne. For artists who are actively building. The goal is not only to create art, but to understand how that art can exist within a larger stystem.

So maybe the conversation is not about choosing between legacy and living artists, but about how the two can continue to inform each other.

Where is the space in the middle?