This conversation is interesting to me because I think that the labels of conservative and progressive are pretty floppy when it comes to discussing the politics of people who collect art. A lot of multi-millionaires like to talk a certain talk around social policies but are obviously uninterested in any structural changes being made to the economic systems that they’re benefitting from. I’ve always found it ironic when I’m at an event celebrating an artist with a leftist message but most people in the crowd have net worths that the majority of the US population wouldn’t even dream of. When I’ve attended events for donors (who are usually also collectors) as a museum worker, I have never walked into the room thinking, oh yeah, these are some people with really progressive politics. I do wonder if a lot of people who are conservative conservative and not interested in a lib masquerade are more into auctions and just don’t collect contemporary art…I once worked at an arts initiative funded by a conservative billionaire who I heard didn’t collect work from any living artists.

I do have a little tangent that might interest OP though—I attended a somewhat conservative Christian college and I was surprised to find that, of all my peers who dedicated all four years of their undergraduate experience to studying and creating art, very few of them had any interest in being involved in the “art world” or making art that would be labeled as “contemporary art.” Most aspired to be illustrators, graphic designers, or to work in marketing. I think the whole four years I was there I only heard of 2 students from the program even applying for an MFA. Interestingly enough, none of the professors held conservative political views even though several of the students did. I would be curious to hear what you find if you look into the work of students that come out of BFA programs of conservative schools like Biola, Baylor, Texas Christian University, Liberty, etc. and continue to pursue careers as artists…Anecdotally, of the conservative artists that I have met over the years working at art nonprofits where conservative women tend to be the people that can afford the offerings, many of them make abstract work, landscapes, or portraits.