About Us
The Collectors Fund and its first two art collections, the American Masters Collection I and American Masters Collection II, help members develop, grow, and manage their collections, while creating a unique social opportunity for personal exposure to and connection with the art world. Through our Art Rotation Program, members enjoy a “private museum” – the remarkable experience of world-class art exclusively in the comfort of their homes.
Because our goal is to create aesthetic enrichment with economic advantage, we pay special attention to creating access and privilege for our members. They receive extraordinary opportunities with artists, educational events for the family and exclusive shows and tours dedicated to the American masters of the 20th century. Our unique combination of collectors, dealers, academics, experts and the artists themselves creates an unparalleled environment in which our members develop and fulfill their passion for art.
American Masters Collection I, now closed to new members, and American Masters Collection II are limited liability companies which accept qualified investors as members, and acquire works of art for the Collections on behalf of the members. The Collectors Fund is a separate limited liability company which is responsible for the management of the Collections. Its specific responsibilities are spelled out in the Offering Memorandum for investment in the Collection. For more information, go to our Inquiries page.
The principal management team for The Collectors Fund includes:
Alexander C. Kemper, Chairman of the Board, is the founder of The Collectors Fund. Prior to founding The Collectors Fund, Mr. Kemper founded Perfect Commerce (f/k/a eScout.com) and served as the company’s Chairman and CEO from 2000-2006. Mr. Kemper is also Chairman of the Board and Founder of Pollenware, a pioneer in collaborative auction theory and structure, delivering industry leading financial solutions for Global 1000 companies and their suppliers. During the 1990’s, he served as Chairman and CEO of UMB Bank and CEO of UMB Financial, a $10 billion financial services company.
Mr. Kemper and his family have been life-long collectors of fine art with a particular focus on American masters of the twentieth century. He has curated and managed a number of multi-million dollar art shows and sales and enjoys strong relationships with numerous artists, private dealers and public museum leaders. He is a trustee of the Enid and Crosby Kemper Charitable Trust and as such is involved in the support and operation of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri.
Mr. Kemper currently serves on a number of corporate boards including UMB Financial (NASDAQ: UMBF), UMB Bank, National Information Consortium (NASDAQ: EGOV), BATS Exchange, and AXA Art Insurance (NYSE: AXA).
Will Conner, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of the company, is responsible for managing the company’s finances, operations and information systems, and supervises its collection management and art sharing functions. Mr. Conner has more than 30 years of experience in the arts management field. Since 2002, he has been a financial consultant for the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in Washington, D.C., and has been a consultant for several other arts organizations across the country on subjects of financial management, fund development, and data collection and analysis. He was at Mid-America Arts Alliance in Kansas City for 29 years, the last 13 of which as Chief Operating Officer. Among the nonprofit regional and national programs operated by Mid-America Arts Alliance is ExhibitsUSA, the largest and most diverse traveling fine arts and humanities exhibition service in the country. Mr. Conner earned an MBA from the University of Kansas.
Christine Kemper, President and co-founder, provides leadership to The Collectors Fund with the introduction of AMCII. She also manages Kemper & Company, a marketing research and consumer insight company that drove the creative design and communications that launched The Collectors Fund. Ms. Kemper’s professional experience includes serving as vice president for business development and client relations inside an advertising agency. She worked in Washington, DC for the U.S. Department of Justice and in Nebraska, for Bob Kerrey’s successful 1988 U.S. Senate bid. Additional career experience includes stints at a land-grant university in the Midwest as director of major gift development and later in Japan, as a project manager for an internationally recognized entertainment corporation.
Sarah Hearn, Collections Manager and Member Relations, manages all logistics related to the acquisition, transport, installation, and sales of artwork for The Collectors Fund. In addition she coordinates educational and social programs for Fund Members and community partners. Previously, she worked for the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, organizing statewide “business of art” workshops, taught drawing and photography classes at multiple universities and served as the Artist INC Live Austin community liaison. She brings years of collection management experience and expertise curating and programing for a wide variety of arts audiences. She is a visual artist with a vibrant studio practice and currently is a Charlotte Street Foundation studio resident. She earned her MFA in Imaging Arts and Sciences from Rochester Institute of Technology, and received a BFA in photography from Santa Fe College of Art and Design.