Inspiring Conversations with Dana Cohen of Private Art Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Cohen.

Hi Dana, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I founded Private Art Consulting in the middle of 2020. From its inception, the focus has always been on helping artists, dealers, galleries and art collectors navigate the ever-evolving art industry. Quick wit, out-of-the-box thinking, and authenticity are my drivers. I rely heavily on my intuition, experience, and creative eye, which I trust above everything else. I’ve consulted within the art space for years and when last year brought about a great deal of change and uncertainty for so many individuals, I knew I could leverage my expertise and network to provide additional support to an industry I want to see flourish. This is why I started Private Art Consulting also known as PAC.

I’m originally from New York and I’ve always been interested in art, not only creatively but I’ve also found the business side quite fascinating. I like to paint, design, and make things happen. I studied at Savannah College of Art and Design and pursued a degree in interior design, finding new excitement with transforming full spaces into visual experiences. I learned to incorporate fine art with interior design and found the best way to appreciate art is when an immersive experience is combined with the right opportunity. Around this time I began to prioritize travel, exploration, and interestingly enough, art auctions.

As someone who finds great purpose in helping art surpass challenges, nowadays my industry clients range from established to more emerging. Collectors have been coming to me for years because I take good care of them and understand what they like and how they prefer to operate. I have always enjoyed curating high-caliber art collections and I find working with a diverse group of artists and collectors over the past 15 years puts me in a great position as an independent consultant. Style-wise I’m known for both my New Yorker partiality for strong industrial influences and my west coast penchant for contemporary design.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Determining which clients to work with was initially challenging because my business works best with a collaborative approach and I have to authentically connect with the art. I am focused on providing a valuable and meaningful service so I make certain to limit how many clients I take on at one time to just a few. As a consultant, I absorb problems and do my best to align appropriate solutions. I look for clients that are a good fit and have an abundance of talent and passion. Qualities like wanting to make the world a better place and being open to feedback are the sorts of things I look for personality-wise. By utilizing an assessment process, I am able to ensure prospective clients are in strategic alignment and that everyone’s expectations are realistic. We get to know each other and mutually identify and agree on key areas of focus.

As you know, we’re big fans of Private Art Consulting. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Private Art Consulting supports the growth of a wide variety of clients within the fine art space. For industry clients including artists and/or designers, dealers, and galleries, consulting services are focused on operations, strategic planning, business development, marketing, training, sales, retention, and growth. For non-industry clients including art buyers, interior designers, art collectors, real-estate developers, and others, advisory services may include aligning acquisition opportunities, curating, and providing advice along with recommendations. I feel very fortunate to have the privilege of supporting collectors by helping them enrich their lives with meaningful works of art. By building a network of some of the best artists and artworks in the industry, my distinguished collector base can reap all of the rewards. Having both kinds of clients is mutually beneficial – collectors get immediate access to new works of art and artists have access to serious collectors.

I’ve sold masterworks by Miró, Picasso, Erté, Calder, Chagall, Dalí, Dürer, Goya, Matisse, Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec and I’ve worked with artists like Mikael B, Timothy White, Lebo, Britto, Yaacov Agam, Marcus Glenn, Patrick Guyton, Duaiv, Derubeis, Nano Lopez, Peter Max, Simon Bull and countless others. One of the artists I’ve been working with is an official Topps #Project70 artist. Providing support on how to best navigate these sorts of projects as well as other collaborations with agencies like Secret Walls and brands like Bentley are what I do best.

Ultimately, what sets Private Art Consulting apart is my eccentric background. I spent eight years with one of the largest privately-owned fine art powerhouses and have trained people from around the world on how to market and sell art, as well as how to host successful events, speak publicly and conduct auctions. I’ve been an art auctioneer as well as an art dealer and have been in sales since I was 15 years old. I’ve always surrounded myself with creative individuals and connect well with artists, helping creative types navigate things like agreements, negotiations, operations, and project management. I’ve hosted and planned weekend-long art collecting events at 5-star hotels with over 200 art collectors, handling things like meals and entertainment while simultaneously liaising with artists and organizing art auctions with massive inventories and big expectations. I have relationships with UHNWI and HNWI and have held highly competitive sales roles within private companies. Now that I have been living in Los Angeles for the last several years, I’ve slowly built up an extensive personal network of meaningful relationships and amassed considerable experience as it relates to fine art and other luxury markets – to the tune of $50 million in sales.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m fascinated by NFT art and will be expanding to provide additional support within this category soon. These are exciting times and besides art and tech, I’m into plants. I have around 50 house plants. They help improve the quality of the air and they are just so lush. They also vibe well with my art and decor. My home features an abundance of plants and countless artworks I’ve collected with my husband, an executive in the green energy space and a native New Zealander. We both love art, fashion, nature, animals and the environment.

Contact Info:

• Email:hello@privateartconsulting.com
• Website: www.privateartconsulting.com
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/private-art-consulting