Pizzuti Collection group takes a new view on collecting

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The phrase “art collecting” often evokes images of austere galleries lined with gilded frames, but members of the Pizzuti Collection’s Pacesetters group hope to challenge these preconceptions.

“We are definitely big on teaching the theme that being a patron of the arts doesn’t mean you’re buying … things that could cost a house,” says Alex Frommeyer, a member of the Pacesetters steering committee. “That’s collecting in a certain way, but going to an art fair at (the Columbus College of Art and Design) and supporting an artist who is getting off the ground by buying a print for $20 is also art patronage, and a super important part of what makes a healthy market.”

Pacesetters, which has about 65 members, was founded in 2014 as an affinity group for young professionals, says Mark Zuzik, programs coordinator at the Pizzuti Collection.

“Now it’s more about cultivating arts patrons here in Columbus at different levels,” he says. “It really is a way to meet people who have similar interests and goals.”

Individuals join the Pacesetters group by purchasing a Pizzuti Collection membership at the Abstract Expressionist level or above. Throughout the year, Pacesetters participate in exclusive events, such as visits to artists’ studios and private tours of contemporary art collections.

They also embark on an annual trip to explore other cities’ arts communities. For example, a recent trip took members to Louisville, Ky.

“In one weekend, we were able to visit multiple collectors’ homes and do tours,” Frommeyer says. “Most people aren’t getting the behind-the-scenes access to the houses and the galleries.”

Every month, Pacesetters hosts a free event for guests 21 years of age and older at the Pizzuti Collection called After Hours. Presented by PNC Arts Alive, the open houses aim to spark interest in the collection and local art culture, says steering committee member Nick Weitzel.

“Art is exciting; the collection is exciting. This is not a stuffy, boring classics museum,” he says. “There’s no way that you could come through this space and not be intrigued and passionate about what you see.”

Weitzel says the Pacesetters play a vital role in increasing engagement in the Columbus art scene.

“Columbus is growing on a lot of levels,” he says. “We want to be the ambassadors for the art community.”

It’s a goal that aligns with the overall mission of the Pizzuti Collection, Frommeyer says.

“We take all of our cues off of what’s happening from Ron (Pizzuti) specifically … so everything works downstream from that,” he says. “It would be a ‘square peg, round hole’ (situation) if we were trying to build what we are doing here in an organization that didn’t respond to those same ideas. That’s critical.”

Amanda Etchison is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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