Three Ways to Invest in Art Today

With a wealth of opportunities in publicly traded stocks and bonds at their fingertips, many investors have never even considered investing in a work of fine art. Beyond being merely unfamiliar, introductions to the art finance space have been historically reserved for the ultra-wealthy, leaving many to feel like they are disqualified on the basis of experience alone. But both novice and veteran investors will be glad to learn that all of this is changing, and not only is art currently rising as a strong player in the field of alternative investments, with high prices and an increasing demand, but there are a number of emerging funds that make investing in art as easy as buying shares of a favorite stock. With online investment platforms like Yieldstreet, those who are both enticed by art and eager to diversify their portfolios have a much easier path to entry than ever before.

Importantly, no two investments are alike, and investors should make decisions based on their own means, interests, and risk appetites. Here are three options for investing in fine art available today:

Find an Art Index Fund - If you're not comfortable putting your money behind your art tastes, this may be a good foray to gain exposure to the art market at large. Companies like Artprice have launched indices that focus on blue-chip artists, however, they can be less transparent and less straightforward than investing in a single piece of art work through an auction, or through investing in a diversified portfolio of artworks held in a fund structure. 

The Fine Art Group - More on the high-end side, The Fine Art Group has been facilitating the acquisition and sale of expensive paintings and jewelry for 20 years. Most notably, The Fine Art Group achieved the highest price ever for a single owner auction of Indian art and jeweled objects with the sale of its Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence collection at $109.3 million. While interested investors will need access to higher volumes of capital than the other options listed here, those who have the funds would be hard-pressed to find a more established and qualified group. 

Yieldstreet Art Equity Fund - Yieldstreet's Art Equity Fund just hit the market, and it offers investors an opportunity to own shares in a portfolio featuring "blue-chip and mid-career Post War & Contemporary artworks." The fund is targeting an impressive 15-18% annualized return over a 5 year period on the works of Keith Haring, George Condo, and Kenny Scharf, and can be joined with a minimum investment of $10K. Yieldstreet does charge an annual management fee of 2%, and offers investors an 85% share of profits exceeding the target at the time of sale. Check out the fund page here to learn more.

Source: Yieldstreet