Through August 18 the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is showing the work of iconic American painter Edward Hopper. This show follows the Tate Modern’s Summer 2004 show in London and further examines the life and creative process of one of American’s favorite painters. If you can’t make it to Boston in time for the show you can experience much of it right from your own computer. The museum’s website has an incredible section dedicated to the exhibit with a slideshow of twelve paintings and accompanying text as well as an interactive Hopper sketchbook showing notes, drawings, painting titles and even sales prices for his artwork in his own hand. www.mfa.org/hopper

There has been a boom in the art fair world over the past few years, and it now seems that there are more art fairs than one can possibly attend. The good news, however, is that there are art fairs geared towards many different kinds of collectors. All you need to do is focus on the ones that are right for you.

First of all, galleries and art dealers pay to take booths at art fairs as a way of displaying their inventory and reaching a broad art audience. Often the material is vetted (or examined, quality tested, etc) in advance by reputable experts in the field so that you know the show has a level of integrity and legitimacy. Not every dealer gets a spot at a fair, and many are highly competitive to join. This works to the advantage of you, the buyer or attendee, as the exhibitors are usually established and respected dealers and galleries. Generally attendance is open to the public and costs between $10 and $100 depending upon which fair you choose. Your fair catalogue is generally included in that price. There are often preview parties in the evenings the first few nights of the fair that are special events for select groups of people. These parties give people the opportunity to have a sort of private viewing of the fair and socialize, and they are often fund raisers to benefit a charity, museum or for the fair itself.

How do you know what art fairs to go to? Here are some general pointers.

For example, if you are intersted in contemporary photography there are a few fairs that you will want to attend to see your area of collecting interest. Some fairs like the AIPAD (Association of International Photgraphy Art Dealers) fair in New York are devoted entirely to photography. Attending a fair such as this is a great way to familiarize yourself with the best and best-known dealers in any particular field. You may also find that you are able to spot trends and what is popular by walking through such a fair and seeing what is being featured and what has sold. There are other general art fairs that you will want to attend, as well, that will be comprised of all types of fine art from photography to painting to prints to sculpture. Though these fairs can be large and overwhelming you can walk through and focus just on the photography offerings.

How do you manage the larger fairs? It is often like visiting the Louvre for an afternoon and wondering where to begin. Here are a few ideas:

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20th Century sculpture is the focus of two solo exhibitions in New York this month.

At MoMA “Richard Serra Sculpture: Forty Years” covers three floors of the museum showing a broad spectrum of work produced by Serra (American, b. 1939) from his smaller early pieces in rubber, leather and metal to his later monumental metal pieces that the viewer walks through as in a maze. Inside some of these pieces one feels as if they are inside the hull of a gigantic ship while in others the bending pathways feel as if they are an endless journey of curving pathways leaving the visitor leaning as well. Now on view through September 10, 2007. www.moma.org

At the Jewish Museum “The Sculpture of Louise Nevelson: Constructing a Legend” examines Nevelson’s progression from creating smaller metal and wooden sculptures to her later, larger installation pieces. Her best known works are composed of discarded wooden pieces collected on the streets and arranged into elegant works of art and then painted black, white or gold lending them an elegance that none of the component parts (chess pieces, banister rails, or chairs parts) would ever have had on their own. Nevelson (American, 1899-1988) used her work to convey themes of love, remembrance, and individuality. The exhibition runs through September 16, 2007 at the Jewish Museum, Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street. You can also see this exhibit at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young, October 27, 2007 – January 13, 2008. www.jewishmuseum.org

Someone recently posed the following question: I have worked really hard over the past few years, and I finally have some money to spend on artwork. But, at the risk of sounding uneducated, I don’t know where to begin. Do you have any suggestions?

I do! Some of my favorite (and most rewarding) projects are those in which the client does not know what he/she likes or where to begin. No matter what amount of money you are prepared to spend, buying a work of art can be intimidating. A work of art is often a major expense (and usually an “extra”) and because most people are not fully versed in the art market they are afraid to make a costly mistake.

If you really are about to invest a significant amount of money in something you know little about I would recommend that you consult a professional and do some research, just as you would were you to buy a house, an engagement ring or a car. One place to start is with an art consultant. Basically, art consultants are independant advisors who represent collectors. A good art advisor will FIRST determine what it is you are interested in buying and organize a collecting plan that is right for you. The art consultant or advisor should then take you to a variety of sources like artist studios or galleries to make your purchases. We act as art world guides, so to speak. An art consultant will also work with you to assess how many pieces you are interested in acquiring, how much money you wish to spend, your time-frame for building your collection and how the works will function together as a collection.

Other good ideas are to just forget buying for the immediate future and get out there.

Start attending your local gallery exhibitions, museum shows, art and antiques auctions, and visiting local artist’s studios.

When you travel take a look at the art in the places you visit so that you see something different than what is available at home.

You should also try browsing through the art section of your local bookstore and see what artists appeal to you. Buy the books or write down the names and keep adding to the list over time. You will likely start to see a pattern on this list — something common among all the different artists that you jot down. You may discover, for example, that you are continually drawn to impressionism or to abstraction.

You can also subscribe to some art magazines and add to your list as you flip the pages of each issue. Go to a big bookstore and you will generally find their newsstand loaded with all sorts of art magazines designed to appeal to different audiences, artists, collectors, dealers, academicians, etc. You should be able to find one that is right for you.

Once you know a bit about what you like, buy the books in that area of interest, and read them! Get on the mailing list of every gallery or museum that deals with your area of interest. Buy and read the gallery and museum exhibition catalogues, too. And get out there and keep seeing the art itself. The more you look at art the more you will start to understand and appreciate what you are seeing.

When you have done all of that, you are well on your way towards having a comfort level with the type of art that you enjoy. At that point you should begin to identify reputable dealers or art consultants in your area who might teach you more, and help you to make a wise purchase.

One of the best museum exhibits going right now is at the Neue Galerie, a museum of German and Austrian art, at Fifth Avenue & 86th Street in Manhattan. The show, Van Gogh and Expressionism, runs through July 2, 2007. For more information please see the museum’s website: www.neuegalerie.org

The exhibit focuses on the influence of Vincent Van Gogh on German and Austrian Expressionism embodied by artists such as Emil Nolde, Egon Schiele, Wassily Kandinsky, Karl Schmidt-rotluff, Gustav Klimt, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Otto Dix. Alongside classic Van Gogh landscapes, interior scenes and portraits are some less famous but equally impressive examples of painting of the early 20th Century.

Some of the artwork will be easily recognizable and others will be new to most visitors, so there is an opportunity for everyone to learn something new. The curators of this exhibition have borrowed many works in this show from private collections and museums worldwide, providing viewers with a rare opportunity and access to these masterpieces. Don’t miss it.