Eleanor McCrary
holds a Master of Arts in Art Business from Sotheby's Institute of Art in London, and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History & Curatorial Studies. Before founding this practice, she spent time working in London's gallery world, where she saw firsthand how serious collections are built.
Eleanor works with a small number of clients at a time, mostly first-time and early-stage collectors in San Francisco and the wider Bay Area. Her approach borrows from both portfolio management and the art world, grounded in real numbers and due diligence, built around your own taste and point of view.
Who I work with
Many of my clients are CEOs, founders, operators, and individuals who've had a liquidity event, or who are simply ready to put a long-term plan behind an idea they haven't had time to develop. They tend to be comfortable with risk and expect real due diligence before committing capital. Art collecting asks for that same discipline, which I can help navigate.
I built this practice around that starting point, working with capable, analytical people who want a collection that reflects their taste rather than a decorator's opinion, and that holds up as an asset over the next ten, twenty, or thirty years.
Four things I hold to with every client.
Rigor
Every acquisition has a thesis and a diligence trail, the same as any other investment.
Access
Relationships across galleries, fairs, and auction houses that take years to build on your own.
Discretion
Your collection, budget, and holdings are never discussed or disclosed outside our work together.
Patience
A collection takes shape over months, not a single afternoon. There's no pressure to buy before you're ready.