-Words by Lauren Kramer Photography by Lia Crowe

ItB次元官网网址檚 a thundering, rain-filled day in April, but thereB次元官网网址檚 a peace and calm that hovers over on VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Homer Street. In a 3,000-square-foot space filled with stunning pieces of contemporary art, Jennifer Kostuik reflects on art and why people buy it.

B次元官网网址淪ome buy it because they like the colours or textureB次元官网网址攙ery surface things,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淭hey like how a piece of art makes them feel. For others itB次元官网网址檚 because they have a connection to a particular work and canB次元官网网址檛 get it out of their mind; they donB次元官网网址檛 know why they love it, they just do. And some people like to meet the artist and hear the story behind the work. The art represents a change theyB次元官网网址檙e going through in their own life.B次元官网网址�

As the owner of the gallery, which is celebrating 25 years in business this year, Jennifer sees herself as a broker, easing a customerB次元官网网址檚 way through an art purchase. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 almost like being a psychologist,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚 know what my artist is saying and IB次元官网网址檓 figuring out what my customer is looking for, even though they may not know it.B次元官网网址�

A Canadian raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Jennifer studied art history at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, initially intending to be an artist herself. Early on she realized she didnB次元官网网址檛 have the vocational drive to produce art full time, and felt she could better fulfill her creative process by promoting living artists. Post-college she worked in Toronto, learning about contemporary Canadian art before moving to Vancouver in 1996 to open her own gallery.

In 1997, her gallery opened with a collection of work by artists who had previously been represented in a gallery that had just closed. Those first years included a steep learning curve, Jennifer admits.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 have a formed relationship with those artists, and because I didnB次元官网网址檛 know them and wasnB次元官网网址檛 behind the ideas that inspired their work, I found it difficult to sell some of their art.B次元官网网址�

As she began to understand the significance of choosing her own aesthetic and having meaningful relationships with her artists, Jennifer began actively pursuing artists she wanted to represent. She flew around Canada to meet them and perused artists worldwide. She was looking for art that spoke to her and that would resonate with her clients in British Columbia, as well as with new clients made through exhibiting in international art fairs in Miami, San Francisco and New York City.

B次元官网网址淎s a gallery owner, I believe you need a good working relationship with an artist, like any business relationship, because art is very personal,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淎rt is an expression of someoneB次元官网网址檚 soul, the spirit inside of them. And youB次元官网网址檙e representing someone elseB次元官网网址檚 career as much as youB次元官网网址檙e furthering your own career. So, I worked hard at going after artists whose art I related to, who I wanted to represent, and who I felt I could work with.B次元官网网址�

Today she represents 27 artists, ranging in age from 32 (Whitney Lewis-Smith) up to 72 (Stu Oxley). Just over half the artists are Canadian, while the remainder are from the United States, Europe, Mexico and Argentina. Just five of the artists are local to BC: photography artists David Burdeny, Judy D. Shane, Philip Jarmain, Whitney Lewis-Smith and painter Ghislain Brown-Kossi.

The price tags of art in Kostuik Gallery vary significantly, ranging from $650 up to $50,000 for the most expensive pieces. JenniferB次元官网网址檚 advice to buyers is that if youB次元官网网址檙e buying anything over $20,000, B次元官网网址渁sk who the artist is and why their work is in that price range.B次元官网网址� Anything below that number is within the average range, she adds.

B次元官网网址淎rt is an investment, and I believe itB次元官网网址檚 the best investment in any volatile market,B次元官网网址� she says unequivocally. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a better investment than gold because it never depreciates, it always goes up.B次元官网网址�

She cites the work of local artist David Burdeny as an example. B次元官网网址淗is photography is collected internationally and his market value has gone up more than 50 per cent since 2001.B次元官网网址�

Jennifer has developed a knack for knowing what her local customers are looking for. So, when American artist William Betts recently offered to send her a selection of line paintings from the series he had first exhibited and sold successfully with her in 2007, she gladly accepted them.

B次元官网网址淢y newer clients had never seen this series before and I had a collector of BettsB次元官网网址� work itching for more, so I had a feeling it would fly,B次元官网网址� she recalls. B次元官网网址淚t did. I sold six of his pieces in one week!B次元官网网址�

Some gallery clients are personal art collectors, while others are corporate clients including CBRE Ltd, Concert Properties and Hollyburn Properties. Liquidity Wines in the Okanagan featured a collection of work by David Burdeny and Philip Jarmain.

Jennifer relishes her connections to her artists and watching their work develop.

B次元官网网址淚 love forging new relationships with artists, and I really believe in what I do and in what they do. I believe having art in oneB次元官网网址檚 life is a need, a necessity, and thatB次元官网网址檚 why I do it,B次元官网网址� she says.

The bonds with her artists are deeply personal, and many artists have become close friends. Often, the relationship is collaborative. The artists understand what Jennifer sees in their work, and sometimes even request her feedback on their new creations.

A collector herself, it can be hard for Jennifer to resist adding to her personal art collection.

B次元官网网址淚 know what the best artwork is and itB次元官网网址檚 hard not to buy the best of the best that you know your artists have made!B次元官网网址� she admits.

As she reflects on 25 years in VancouverB次元官网网址檚 art world, itB次元官网网址檚 gratitude that Jennifer feels first and foremost.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a tough journey running a gallery in this city, but IB次元官网网址檓 very grateful for being able to do what I do here,B次元官网网址� she says, adding, B次元官网网址淭he past two years were the best IB次元官网网址檝e had in a long time, perhaps because of the pandemic. People werenB次元官网网址檛 traveling and werenB次元官网网址檛 distracted by life, so they could focus on themselves, their homes and their office spaces. I had the opportunity to reconnect with clients I hadnB次元官网网址檛 seen in years, and met new clients that finally had time to enter the doors of my gallery.B次元官网网址�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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