The world of fine-art photography offers a rich and exciting landscape for collectors, but navigating it can be a challenge without the right tools and knowledge. This new online workshop, led by industry expert Alice Sachs Zimet, unlocks the essentials of starting and refining a photography collection. Over five sessions, Alice guides you through the art and science of collecting, offering insider insights into how the market works, what to look for in a photograph, and how to build a collection that reflects your personal taste and lasting value.
Throughout the workshop, you and Alice explore the most critical topics in collecting including: questions to ask before buying, the do’s and don’ts of navigating auctions, and the best places to acquire photographs—whether at photo fairs, galleries, online platforms, or directly from the artist. Three special guest speakers—a gallery owner, a represented photographer, and an auction house specialist—offer their expert perspectives and enrich the learning experience.
To deepen your understanding of collecting, Alice gives assignments, including one practical task of researching and presenting a hypothetical photograph for purchase. This includes examining key details such as print date, signature indications, print condition, and other important factors.
Whether you are just beginning to collect, refining an existing collection, or seeking a better understanding of the fine-art photographic marketplace, this workshop empowers you with the knowledge and confidence to engage with the market more strategically and successfully while enjoying every step of the process.
The workshop is open to all who have an interest in the fine-art photographic marketplace. No level of photographic technical ability is required since this is not a workshop to make new images.
Class will meet 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (Mountain Time) on Tuesdays starting April 15 and ending May 13 (five online group sessions). Enrollment is limited to 12 participants.
Zoom Video Conferencing software (available for no charge from Zoom.com) will be used to facilitate the class sessions. Further details will be emailed to registrants.
Santa Fe Workshops always aims to produce a high-quality experience for our online attendees. That said, variables including regional and local internet provider speeds, traffic on Zoom's servers, and your own computing hardware can contribute to a less than ideal streaming event. While we do our best to minimize the impact of these variables, they are outside the control of Santa Fe Workshops.
View Withdrawal and Transfer Policies for online programs.
For the convenience of participants, recordings of each class session are posted privately for one month after the end of each session. Santa Fe Workshops takes the recordings down after one month to protect the intellectual property of our instructors.
Alice Sachs Zimet is the President of Arts + Business Partners, a consultancy founded in 1999 to advise collectors and photographers on navigating the fine-art photography marketplace.
As a collector, advisor, and educator, Alice began her journey collecting fine-art photography in 1985. Over the years, she has amassed a museum-quality collection of nearly 350 images, ranging from 20th-century masters like Cartier-Bresson, Berenice Abbott, Elliott Erwitt, and Robert Mapplethorpe, to contemporary photographers such as Cindy Sherman and Zanele Muholi. The collection represents 143 different photographers, showcasing a broad spectrum of photographic work.
In addition to her collecting expertise, Alice holds several influential positions in the art world. She serves as Chair of the Photography Curatorial Committee at the Harvard Art Museums, Chair of the Collections Committee at the International Center of Photography (ICP), and is a Board member of the Magnum Foundation. Alice is also on the Advisory Board of the Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) and the American Photography Archives Group (APAG).
Before venturing into the world of consulting, Alice pioneered the field of corporate sponsorship as Director of Worldwide Cultural Affairs at Chase Manhattan Bank. Over her 20-year tenure, she used the arts as a strategic marketing tool across 14 countries and 20 US cities, generating $2 billion in new business for the bank.
Website: artsandbusinesspartners.com/alice-sachs-zimet
Instagram: @alice.sachs.zimet