Co-Conspirators: Artist and Collector The Collection of James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett

NEW PALTZ — The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art will highlight the contemporary art collection of New York residents Jim Cottrell and Joe Lovett, February 5 – April 10, 2005. The 47 paintings selected for this exhibition include works by Basquiat, Haring, Morley, Hockney and others. The focus of the collection includes artists working in the United States, Spain and France.

Cottrell and Lovett have been collecting art since 1976, with much of their collection built around a personal relationship with an artist. A cohesive sensibility is evident as well – a love of painting and an appreciation for whimsy and humor.

In reflecting on how the collection began, Lovett notes, “The work I originally collected was given to me by friends. I never had a desire to own grand or expensive works. I am just as happy to see it in a museum as on my own walls. But one day, Jim said to me, ‘If we don’t buy it, how will the artist survive?'”

Collector Cottrell says, “I used to think it was the image that was important. But as time went on, it became more about the artist’s relationship to the world. It’s been an evolution in what and how I collect and most of that has to do with getting to know the artists.”

Jim Cottrell and Joe Lovett are listed among Art & Antiques Top 100 Collectors in 2001.

A reception for the exhibition will be held on Saturday, February 5 from 2-4pm at the museum. It is free and open to all.