Young Collectors Club
Young Collectors Club, founded in 2006 by Mary Stanley Studio, provides education and social networking opportunities for young professionals interested in learning about and collecting contemporary art. YCC members meet at least twice each month for exclusive behind-the-scene sessions with art critics, museum curators, artists, gallery owners, and private collectors. We are known for the high quality and creativity of our programming, and the sophisticated and committed professionals that participate. YCC can be contacted at yccatl@gmail.com.
Mary Stanley Studio
Since founding Mary Stanley Studio in 2004, Mary Stanley has been actively involved in a wide range of contemporary art initiatives. As art consultant, artist representative, independent curator, and collector, she enjoys working with artists, collectors, museums, galleries, curators, and art nonprofit organizations to enhance the cultural and creative climate in the city of Atlanta.
*Mary Stanley is available to all YCC members for consultation on any art purchase, at any gallery, on the local, national, or international scene*
History of Young Collectors Club
Mary Stanley founded YCC in the summer of 2006, at a time when economic conditions were preventing many from buying art. She determined that this was a perfect time to sit on your "fun tickets" and spend time getting smart about contemporary art and strategizing about collecting. The program initially targeted young professionals in their early 30's, many of whom were buying their first home, having babies, saving up for private school tuition, or working 80 hrs a week trying to make partner. In other words, they were very busy people with limited free time and money. YCC offered a chance to use their time efficiently with programs designed to offer high quality educational content from seasoned professionals and passionate collectors.
From email announcing the event, to the behind the scenes experience, YCC members received rich content, great links for further exploration and insider tips on the hottest events and collecting opportunities. They focus on learning and doing great "art stuff" while someone else does all the planning and coordination. All they have to do is RSVP and show up. Most programs are limited to 20 participants in order to allow intimate learning opportunities and facilitate access to private collections. When members cannot attend (as is often the case with our busy professionals and out-of-towners), the YCC correspondence still offered visuals and detailed information about the highlighted artist or topic.
That first summer, The Young Collectors Club had 25 members and 10 programs, which were held every Thursday for ten weeks. By the end of the first series, everyone was exhausted, a little over-stimulated, but bonded as a group and very happy with all the new knowledge acquired. Most of the original members are still engaged – a number of them serve on the YCC Steering committee – and we have continued to fine-tune our logistics, our schedule and even our audience.