Alice Sachs Zimet
About
Alice Sachs Zimet (https://www.artsandbusinesspartners.com/) is President, Arts + Business Partners, a consulting boutique specializing in the fine art photography marketplace as well as corporate sponsorship. As a collector, advisor, and educator, Alice began to collect fine art photography in 1985 and has amassed a museum-quality collection of roughly 300 images from 20th Century masters to the present. She is Chair, Photography Curatorial Committee, Harvard Art Museums; Chair, Acquisitions Committee, International Center of Photography (ICP); board member, Magnum Foundation; and a member of the Aperture Foundation’s Artist Book Committee. She is on Faculty at the ICP School, Christie’s Education and Maine Media Workshops & College where she teaches classes for both collectors and photographers. In addition, Alice is a regular guest lecturer at festivals, portfolio reviews and other photo-based nonprofits across the United States. As a long-respected advisor in the field, Zimet works with clients across all budget levels and vets purchases whether classic mid-Century to contemporary. She has placed over 100 photographs and worked with 30 galleries from New York to Los Angeles, Paris to Vienna. Zimet also pioneered the field of corporate sponsorship and remains a respected consultant working with both business sponsors and nonprofit organizations. She is Adjunct Professor, New York University’s Graduate Program, Arts Administration teaching Corporate Sponsorship and the Arts. For 20 years, Zimet was Director, Worldwide Cultural Affairs, The Chase Manhattan Bank where she used the arts as a strategic marketing tool across 14 countries and 20 US cities to generate over $2 Billion in new bank business. Alice earned a BA in Art History (Syracuse University) and a MA in Art History (New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts) before taking a year off to live in Paris. Her career began at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she has remained in the art world ever since. Alice continues to live and work in New York City.
Gallery
LACP Interviews Alice Sachs Zimet
LACP asks Alice Sachs Zimet some questions about their background, career in and beliefs about photography
LACP: Where did you get your training?
ASZ: I earned a BA in Art History (Syracuse University), a MA in Art History (New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts), taking a year off to study in Paris. I began my career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, first as a summer intern right out of college and, the following year, getting hired to run the summer internship program.
LACP: When did you know you wanted to devote your life to photography?
ASZ: While working as a very young intern at the International Center of Photography during its first year in 1975, I gained experience in the photography market and met photographers that sparked a lifelong passion for photography.
LACP: What classes do you teach at LACP?
ASZ: I’ll be teaching for the first time in Spring 2022. First, I’ll lead a webinar that takes photographers “Inside a Collector’s Mind” to learn what collectors think about when buying a photograph and how this might impact their practice. Later in the Spring, I will teach a workshop to help photographers navigate the photography marketplace and better understand how to find a gallery as well as the issues to discuss with a potential dealer.
LACP: What do you love most about teaching?
ASZ: I have always been passionate about photography. Since 1985, I’ve amassed a collection of over 300 museum-quality photographs. Over all these years, I’ve also amassed deep knowledge about the questions to ask when contemplating a purchase as well as deep personal relationships across the field, from dealers to auction professionals. I love to share my knowledge and to offer the ‘dos and don’ts’ for all levels of collectors as well as photographers who are ready to access the marketplace. We are a small community and while people change jobs, they don’t leave the field. And I love to connect everyone. Lastly, I love to protect collectors from making the same mistakes that I made on my own collecting journey.
LACP: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about making a career in photography?
ASZ: Go for it – trust your intuition and follow your passion.