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Welcome to S1 E3 with collector Alvin Hall.

Alvin and I have been friends for almost 20 years. He bought work from my gallery right when we opened and we've stayed in touch ever since. He's a collector but he's also a celebrated educator, TV presenter, and author. He has a gift for conveying the essence of collecting art in a way that is highly compelling and crystal clear.

In this episode we discuss the thrill of falling in love with art for the first time, how one's understanding of art evolves over time, meeting artists, asking for discounts, plus some hot tips on where to hang your most recent purchase, and how to ameliorate art viewing when you can't physically see art in person.

Alvin Hall is an award-winning television and radio broadcaster, author, and renowned financial educator. His 10-episode podcast series, Driving the Green Book, was the winner of the inaugural Ambie Award for Best History podcast (2021) and winner for New York Festivals Gold Award as the Best Narrative Documentary Podcast (2021). His numerous radio programs include Alvin Hall’s Other America (BBC World Service), Diane Arbus: Intimate Portraits (BBC Radio 4, winner of New York Festivals Finalist Award),The Tulsa Tragedy That Shamed America (BBC Radio 4), The Green Book (BBC Radio 4), and Jay-Z: From Brooklyn to the Board Room (BBC Radio 4, winner of the Wincott Award for financial and business journalism). For five years on BBC2 television, he hosted the highly rated and award-winning series, Your Money or Your Life, on which he offered both practical and psychological advice about personal finance. His children’s book, Show Me the Money (Dorling Kindersley) has been published in several foreign language editions. His most recent book, Driving the Green Book (Amistad) was a winner of the 2024 Honors Award for Nonfiction from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. He is currently producing his first feature-length documentary on the iconic Lorraine Motel. He is chair of MoMA’s Black Arts Council and co-chair of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, as well as being a board member of the New York City AIDS Memorial and The Conversation US.

This episode is brought to you by SeeSaw - the best way to learn about gallery exhibitions in five cities: New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Berlin. Pick your shows, map your route, and take off!

(the art map app, not the elementary school app!)

Download SeeSaw here.

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Credits:

Music: Jon Calhoun

Editor: Jozlyn Rocki