With his actress wife, Kelly Frye, Nick Campbell is half of one of the most interesting and dynamic couples currently gracing the Austin social world, and he is addressing his role as an art advisor in creative ways. I enjoyed speaking with him recently and hearing about his background and his initiatives in the Austin art scene.
British-born Nick had the spark for his career path in childhood, when he showed an interest in art and architecture. He attended Stowe, a boarding school in Buckinghamshire, renowned for developing change-makers. While he was matriculating there, he was fortunate enough to study with an influential art history teacher. The inspiration he gained from that experience set him on the path to his profession. He never intended to be an artist, but he wanted to work in the art world, and the background he gained at Stowe provided a solid foundation for his career.
In college at Oxford Brookes, Nick studied art history and arts management. Soon after graduating in 2009, he had the inspiration and fortitude to establish the first art advisory business in the UK for clients with budgets under $20,000. These were people who could spend $3,000–$5,000 on specific pieces but lacked understanding of the art world, how to coordinate their purchases, or where to find the best sources for their acquisitions. Nick had been collecting art himself since he was 19, so his path in the field was already ingrained. This was a bold move for a young man just starting his career, but as he notes, this part of the market needed attention. By investing significant energy in building his company's brand, he achieved strong results in this market niche.
In 2018, Nick founded another advisory firm, geared for clients not constrained by budget, specializing in contemporary art. The following year, fate smiled on him, and he met Texas-born actress Kelly Frye at a party in London, where she was vacationing with some girlfriends. They started dating and soon became a committed couple. During the pandemic, he felt compelled to leave the UK, and Kelly suggested Austin as their new home. Kelly was at the height of her film and television career at the time, traveling between Los Angeles and Houston, her hometown, to care for her mother. Los Angeles wasn’t really Nick’s milieu, and then Kelly suggested Austin. “I fell in love with this city immediately,” Nick says. They moved here, put down roots, and he created Campbell Art Advisory.
During his time here in town, his firm has gained traction among many important art collectors. Nick says he has been fortunate to grow his client base through word of mouth since arriving here. Early on, he became involved in the community as much as possible and joined the Arts and Culture committee for The Trail Conservancy, with a goal of bringing artwork to the trail. Kelly is also involved with the Trail Foundation and chaired one of their major fundraising events. They have also done fundraising for the improvements to the Seaholm Power Plant structure on Lady Bird Lake. “Everyone in Austin has been very welcoming to us,” Nick says, “and we have enjoyed meeting so many people who have broadened our knowledge of the city.”
Over his 15 years in the business, Nick has established connections with artists worldwide. Once he identifies artists whose work interests him, he reaches out to meet them. He gravitates toward contemporary pieces made by living artists, which allows him to encourage them in their work. Nick says that he likes to make clients aware of how gratifying it is to support younger artists. He adds that it’s inspiring to take clients to studios and help them get to know the artist on a personal level. In the long run, these connections between artists and collectors lend a tangible gravitas to the collecting process.
I asked Nick for the names of some famous, now-deceased artists he often recommends. He immediately said, “Mark Rothko.” Not only did he write his dissertation on Rothko, but he also married Kelly in the Rothko Chapel in Houston, thanks to a special dispensation. Others include Louise Bourgeois, known for her large-scale sculptures (one of her famous spiders is on display at the Mueller development), and the legendary surrealist Salvador Dalí.
Among living artists, Nick admires the work of Grayson Perry, an iconoclastic British artist who creates ceramic vases and tapestries. Nick says that Perry will go down in history as a key figure in the British art canon. He also mentioned the German artist Julius von Bismarck and New York-based Kathleen Ryan, who produces large sculptures made from beads and gemstones.
Nick says that he feels people should consider setting aside a percentage of their collections to reflect the work of local artists, people who are enhancing what our city has to offer. In that vein, he mentioned talents such as Anya Molyviatis, who produces stunning tapestries, Connor O’Leary, and Sara Carter.
Many of Nick’s clients are people who have reached a point in their lives when they can move here from a larger city and enjoy the Austin lifestyle. When he takes on a new client, he gets to know them, finds out about their lifestyle, and their stage in life. He then visits their homes and gets a feel for their tastes in all areas – even food, music, and recreational activities. Of course, their available wall space is also a factor. He smiled and said he had just installed an 8-foot-by-9-foot painting in a local home.
Nick feels that the in-depth appreciation of fine art should be an experience shared by as many people as possible. Towards that end, he created The Campbell Art Collective three years ago. When Nick started networking in Austin, he found more and more people new to town who wanted to get involved in the arts scene, meet other collectors, and find out which artists were notable. He says that there is an arts scene in town, but it is spread out and somewhat hidden. It seemed a shame to him that the people gaining access to it were his private clients, so he decided to create a way for people to meet and expand their knowledge.
They get together once a month. The collective has 35 local members at this point, and he has started another chapter in Houston. As his website states, the experiences range from private studio visits with artists and designers to exclusive access to exhibition openings, behind-the-scenes tours of galleries and museums, and invitations to view distinguished private and corporate collections.
No doubt, Nick is a busy man. He attends at least 25 art fairs around the world each year and returns to London in the summer. When he’s in town, he and Kelly find time to walk the trail around the lake as much as possible. “We love being in Austin, and we’re trying to add what we can to the cultural scene.”
