For this In Good Company conversation, The Art Chose Me presents Collecting in Community, a new series that makes collecting art feel more approachable.

Gail Belvett and Teka Selman will chat about finding art you love, connecting with local artists, and starting a collection with confidence.

Part of Boardinghouse Arts’ In Good Company series and presented in conjunction with Art Lives Here, this conversation considers collecting not simply as acquiring an object, but as a form of relationship and stewardship - one that can sustain artists, deepen our connection to their work, and strengthen the creative communities we’re part of.

Whether you’re an experienced collector, thinking about buying your first work of art, or simply curious about the relationships behind the works in Art Lives Here, you’re invited to join the conversation.

Teka Selman

Teka Selman is a Durham-based arts professional and the founder and principal of Selman Contemporary, an advisory firm that helps collectors and institutions build impactful, intentional art collections, with a focus on emerging and underrepresented artists. Over the past 25 years, her work as a consultant, gallerist, curator, and writer has led to collaborations with contemporary artists across the United States and internationally, including Mark Bradford, William Cordova, Heather Hart, Barkley L. Hendricks, Wangechi Mutu, and Amy Sherald. Teka holds a BA in Art History and Anthropology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and an MA in Visual Cultures from Goldsmiths, University of London.

Gail Belvett

Gail Belvett, DDS is a curator, arts administrator, healthcare leader, and practicing dentist. As founder of The Art Chose Me, she advances access to the visual arts and supports underrepresented artists. Her work spans arts, education, and healthcare leadership, including service with Duke University Health System, the Nasher Museum of Art, and community dental health programs.

Antoine Williams, “Future Past Series #4”

Mixed media on paper, 202, From the Collection of Gail Belvett, on view during Boardinghouse Arts’ Art Lives Here exhibition.

Clarence Heyward, “Nothing New Under the Sun”

Hand cut paper collage/ Gold leaf, 2021, currently on view at Boardinghouse Arts, From the Collection of Gail Belvett, on view during Boardinghouse Arts’ Art Lives Here exhibition.

Keisha Scarville, triptych

“Untitled from "Passports" series (Black Dots),” Acrylic paint on archival inkjet print, 2014; “Untitled from "Passports" series (Black Stars),” Acrylic paint and metallic paper on archival digital print, 2018; “Untitled from "Passports" series (Black Stars),” Acrylic paint and metallic paper on archival digital print, 2018, From the Collection of Gail Belvett, on view during Boardinghouse Arts’ Art Lives Here exhibition.

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In Good Company is a conversation series bringing artists and collectors together to talk about art, relationships, and what it means to support an artist’s practice.

Presented alongside Art Lives Here, Boardinghouse Arts’ inaugural exhibition, each hour-long conversation pairs an artist featured in the exhibition with a collector of their work, joined by a facilitator from the arts community. Together, they’ll share how their relationship began, what drew them to one another’s work and perspective, and how that connection has evolved over time.

In Good Company invites us to think about collecting as more than a transaction. At its best, collecting can be an act of stewardship: a way of knowing artists, investing in their practices, living with their ideas, and participating in the cultural life of a community. Through candid conversations with artists and the people who collect their work, the series offers an accessible entry point for anyone curious about art, collecting, or how to become a more active supporter of artists.