I'm not an art lover, or at least I didn't think I was.
At our house my wife and I do have a mix of art and pictures hanging on our walls. Most of the art comes from my uncle, Howard Kline, who has been a professional painter his entire life.
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Aside from that artwork we have a few paintings we scrounged from antique shops, as well as some prints we've obtained over the years. There's no real theme to the collection, and even my uncle's work ranges from watercolors to pencil sketches.
In general, I like my walls to offer artwork that means something to me. Whether there's a story about how we found the painting or the actual work represents something important to us, it's important for me to feel a connection.
When I first attended a Park West Galleries auction on a cruise ship, I was fully skeptical of the entire process. What I did not realize was that while Park West is very much in the business of selling art, its method for doing that isn't what you would assume.
Park West's auctioneers and their teams don't sell you art. They explain the art, the artists, and how the works are created to build your appreciation for them.
Every auction isn't just a sales opportunity for the cruise line but also a chance for you to learn about art, artists and art history. You may end up falling in love with a piece of artwork and buying something, but even if you don't your appreciation for the work will grow.
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Image source: Park West
What Park West taught me about art
(Park West is a paying advertiser on Come Cruise With Me.)
While some art can be an investment, that's not how I see most works being sold on cruise ships. There are certainly some impressive one-of-a-kind or limited-edition pieces by classic or modern masters, but most cruisers are buying to display the art in their homes.
"Original art is defined as any artwork created directly under the control and supervision of the artist. This can include unique one-of-a-kind artwork or limited- edition graphic works," Park West explains on its website.
The auctioneers do not merely present the items for sale; they take you through how the works were created, where they fit into the artist's catalog, and perhaps during which period they were created.
Sometimes you're hearing about a long-dead master, and on other occasions you're learning about vibrant new artists who are just making their mark on the scene.
Park West will sell items that are tens of thousands of dollars and others that are as low as $50. There will be specials, and sometimes the auctioneer will offer multiple works by the same artist with a chance to lock in one or all at a specific price per piece.
Again, you might not buy anything, but you learn a lot, not just about the artists but what you like. And maybe you start to understand why you like it.
How a Park West auction works
Most Park West auctions and classes are open to everyone. (Some invite-only events are for past customers.) The auctions and classes will be listed in the daily calendar and anyone can attend.
Once you enter the room, you register at a table and receive a placard to raise should you choose to bid. You will also get some stickers to place on the frames of any piece of art you would like to see the auctioneer bring forward.
It's important to know that just because you want to learn more about a piece of art does not mean you have to bid.
Once the auction starts, the auctioneer's team will bring pieces forward. Sometimes they will tell a story about a piece, and on other occasions they educate the audience about the artist.
Clearly, Park West wants to sell art, but the sales pitch is never aggressive. The auctioneers make passengers feel good about what they're buying, but there's no hard sell.
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Some one-of-a-kind items will prompt bidding wars. In other cases, the auctioneer might show off multiple items and passengers pay a set price for the chance to pick one.
Auctions move fast and most people who attend won't buy, although many will come back and eventually start there own art collections.
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