Collectors Profile: Zach and Janel Fink

  • We chatted with designer Zach and program manager Janel
    about their approach to collecting art and what it means to bring
    their daughter into the process.
  • “Janel is like the creative director for the collection.” – Zach Fink “He finds it all and then I approve...

    “Janel is like the creative director

    for the collection.”

    – Zach Fink

     

    “He finds it all and then I approve

    or disapprove (laughs) There’s way

    more disapproving.”

    – Janel Fink

  • Q & A

    Q: When/where did you meet and how long have you been together?
    A: Boston—we celebrated our 15th anniversary last June!
     
    Q: How many pieces do you estimate to be in your art collection?
    A: 30+ pieces in our “official” collection and 100+ in the extended collection.
     
    Q: What do you do with works you are no longer interested in?
    A: Sell, loan to friends, hide in a closet…
  • GO AGAIN by Gina Occhiogrosso installed in the Fink home.

    GO AGAIN by Gina Occhiogrosso installed in the Fink home.

  • Q: As a collector, how does living with a piece of art
    affect your daily life?
    A: It’s hard to single out the effect of any one piece. Our collection
    is more than just decor, and it’s difficult to describe the full value
    of living with it in a succinct way. Aside from appreciating the appearance
    or style of pieces, they also serve as historical touchpoints both culturally
    and personally. It’s also rewarding to slowly observe a piece over time,
    internalizing the individual details and thinking about the time and
    attention the artist themselves put into it. Our collection has grown with us
    and feels like a foundation for our home, creating a sort of permanence
    even while our actual living quarters have changed over the years.
     
    Q: What is it like collecting as a couple? How do you decide on a piece?
    A: Sometimes we both just agree without even thinking about it.
    Other times we have an official deliberative process for deciding.
    Still other times, Janel has to lecture Zach about how he clearly has an art-buying problem.
  • Q: What is your personal ‘tried-and-true’ philosophy on collecting
    art you would pass on to new collectors?
    A: Maintain a running list of artists you’d like to collect and don’t overthink
    it when you get a chance to buy.
    Q: What does it mean to you both to bring your child into the process
    of appreciating and looking at art? How does that affect you creatively?
    A: Neither of us grew up in homes with deliberate art collections or any
    awareness of contemporary art. It’s important to us to educate our
    daughter on this, and she really takes an interest in certain pieces.
    It definitely pushes us to be more intentional in our choices.

  • Collectors Choice