Beyond The Present: Collecting For The Future 

Christine Mack Shares Her Vision For The Present And Future Of The Art World

Art collector and foundation director Christine Mack shares part of her stunning collection at the Southampton Arts Center. “Beyond the Present: Collecting for the Future,’ is curated by award-winning art historian and founder of ArtMuse, Natasha Schlesinger and Executive Director of Southampton Arts Center, Christina Mossaides Strassfield, and runs to September 27.  The exhibition is a testament to Christine Mack’s collection of contemporary art with a keen eye to the future. Her mission is to collect and holistically nurture these talents through the Mack Art Foundation.

“The Southampton Arts Center is an amazing place, and I really enjoyed working with them for the past few months,” says Mack, “It’s like my little babies leaving the house.” The show is an ambitious exhibition of 75 works. Mack says it has been a pleasure collaborating with Strassfield and Schlesinger. Audiences will get to see both established and up and coming artists with some works being on public display for the first time.

“We are delighted to showcase works from Christine Mack’s personal collection and the Mack Art Foundation residency program,” Says Christina Strassfield, “Her passion and vision for collecting and supporting artists are truly inspiring. Each time Christine talks about an artist and their work, you gain a deeper understanding of the strong relationship between collector and artist and see her total support for them and their individual vision.”

Mack has a home in Bridgehampton which also is an incredible showcase for some of her collection and has been photographed for international magazines, “For real estate the art can elevate everything. If I didn’t have the art here, it wouldn’t look like this.”

Caught by the “art bug” 25 years ago, Mack grew up in Sweden and studied at the Parsons School of Design, honing her creative eye. She also has great admiration for her in laws who are ardent art collectors. Mack trusts her gut and intuition when choosing pieces for her collection, “I don’t have advisors. I collect what I like. I enjoy collecting artists early in their careers. Buying their art helps them financially and also to be able to say they are in a good collection.”

Mack along with her Foundation created a residency for emerging artists. “I spend two to three months with each artist, and it’s a privilege to be part of their life and process. They are reflecting what’s going on in the world today, and they have a voice. It’s really exciting. We keep in touch. It’s like a growing family, and I’m so proud of them.”

While her taste is diverse, Mack does collect in themes, “It may be black artists or female surreal artists. I also collect a lot of female figurative artists who paint themselves and other women, the women’s gaze as opposed to the male gaze.”

Mack enjoys the discovery process, “I love art and travel and the people I meet. I can find an artist anywhere in the world on social media and do studio visits either through artists or galleries. I also reach out on Instagram to introduce my residency program to artists and invite them to apply.”

What is her advice to people interested in starting their own art collection, “The art market goes up and down but I believe you should collect what you love, and it should be personal. There is something in every single work I collect that speaks to me.”