Beyond Trends: Building a Timeless Collection

Collecting art has been a passion amongst institutions, individuals, and families across the globe for centuries. However the path to building a timeless collection is seldom a clear one. This conversation addressed the critical questions facing collectors today: How do we navigate the generational shift in collectors and foster the kind of mentorship that shaped previous generations? How do we shift the focus from short-term pricing toward connoisseurship that prioritizes long term value, creativity and sustained support of artists? Beyond individual practice, the talk also explored the relationship between private collecting and museums and how institutions can thrive across today’s digital landscape.

Matthew Newton is an Executive Director and Head of Art Advisory Americas on the Family Office Solutions team within Private Wealth Management at UBS. Through the UBS Art Advisory, Matthew works with UHNW clients of UBS to help them build, manage, and plan for exceptional lasting collections in context of their overall wealth management.

Prior to working in financial services, Matthew developed a decade-plus career in the commercial art world, culminating as Associate Director at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York where he contributed directly to the curatorial vision of gallery exhibitions, directed the global art fair program, managed strategic initiatives including large-scale public commissions, artist estate management, and ambitious museum lending efforts.

Dan Sallick is a passionate collector of modern art who served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from 2016 to 2024. In 2024, he was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Guggenheim Museum. Dan is founder and Managing Partner of Avōq, a national strategic communications, advertising, and government relations firm in Washington, D.C. He specializes in uncovering bold ideas that capture the attention of policymakers, the media, and other key stakeholders.

Earlier in his career, Dan held senior political communications roles, including Press Secretary to House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt and Communications Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the successful 1998 election cycle.