Art, Style & Community: Meet Lydia Kutko of LK Art Consultants and the Antiques + Modernism Show

Introducing to the Chicago North Shore Moms community, Glencoe mom of two, art advisor, female founder of LK Art Consultants, and proud board member of the  Women’s Board at Winnetka Community House Antiques + Modernism Show,  Lydia Kutko!

We were thrilled to hear from Lydia to learn more about her incredible journey as an art advisor, from growing up surrounded by creativity and culture to building a thriving business that helps clients collect extraordinary art with meaning and clear intention. She’s also helping lead the charge for this year’s coveted Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka happening Friday, October 31 through Sunday, November 2, 2025, where she’s infusing the beloved event with her oustanding energy, unparalleled knowledge in the art collecting world and fresh ideas. Learn more about Lydia, her inspiring path to becoming an art advisor, her personal approach to art and design, and what to look forward to at this year’s Antiques + Modernism Show!

 

Photo credit: Maria Ponce

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Hi Lydia. Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here?

I was born in Madison, WI and grew up in Maple Bluff, a small community on the shore of Lake Mendota with a beautiful direct view of the capitol. At the center of our village was the beach which my sisters and I would zigzag past on our way to and from tennis and swim team at our nearby club. But the best days were spent hanging at the beach with neighborhood friends and celebrating the 4th of July which always brought everyone together.

Living near a beach, a vibrant community and access to culture is what attracted us back to the Midwest and more specifically the North Shore and Glencoe, where my husband grew up and we often visited during the 15 years we lived in New York City. Now we are two blocks away from his parents (the grandparents:)) and the beach – we love raising our kids in this active, fun community near our family.

 

Tell us about your children and do brag away!

We have a 7 yr old son and 5 yr old daughter who are both going to the same school for the first time. It’s really a fun age seeing them develop a relationship together and also their individual personalities. We laugh all the time listening to their conversations and stories. While so much of it is hilarious, we’ve also entered the chapter of parenting and it’s both exciting and uncharted. We definitely feel that raising them here brings so much support and we are lucky to have fabulous parent friends to go through this with.

I’d love to say more about their various talents and interests but every day they surprise us so we will have to wait for the next interview to see where that all leads.

 

What are one or two fun or interesting things to know about you?

I travel quite a bit for work and pleasure. I’m a big believer in quick girls trips and signing on for a travel adventure whenever I can squeeze it in. I’m a multitasker to the max so I often say “yes” and then figure out how to do it “all.” I think half the fun of being spontaneous is trying to figure out solutions in real time. I truly love solving problems.

When I’m not looking for something or someplace new to spark fresh ideas, I’ve started piano lessons. It began as a way to connect with my son and show him I can do hard things too and “walk the walk” as they say. Unexpectedly, I ended up enjoying it and have tapped into a whole new state of mind and challenge I didn’t expect.

 

What are your favorite North Shore places, spaces and eats to frequent with family, date night, hang out, etc.?

Towne & Oak has been such a game changer by offering that all day cafe vibe and I love how you can show up dressed or casual and still get the experience you crave. Space 519 is obviously a buzz and it deserves it – another place to dial a girlfriend and say let’s meetup.

For date night, Miramar is great any season and Le Colonial for something a tad more exotic and energized. We can’t forget the Deer Path – sign me up for a cozy sweater dinner the second the calendar turns November and I will drop everything to meet at the White Hart Pub and hangout with girlfriends, people watch and chat with the bartenders while waiting for a table.

 

Any good reads or tv shows you’ve binged lately?

I just finished Keith McNally’s book (the restaurateur behind Balthazaar, Odeon ..) I Regret Almost Everything, which is a raw, fascinating story on the intersection of NYC as a culture and a personality who defined its restaurant scene yet at the same time could not define himself.

For shows, we just started Jamestown, a stark window into the tenacity and faith of the colonial settlers in the face of absolute uncertainty. It’s a bit intense and gruesome at times but worth it to imagine what it would be like if every day you knew was potentially your last and you continue to build for a future you may not see.

I also just watched Coco avant Chanel about the young Chanel, her inspiration, her love affairs and her counterculture life set in captivating backdrops like bustling Paris and stunning countryside chateaux. It’s a beautifully done film.

 

Your mantra?

“Just do it.”

 

It’s time to get down to business. Please introduce your business endeavor as an art consultant and the founder of LK Art Consultants.

There are many different ways one can be an art consultant and many times a consultant might choose to work on several different types of projects and wear many hats in the art business. Most often, people assume I hold art inventory and act as a gallery or storefront. In that case, my job would be to sell the inventory I owned or consigned or “represent” artists, which means my role would range from financing the artist’s studio practice, taking their work to art fairs and giving the artist(s) a consistent schedule to show a new body of work. In that case, I’d be working for the artist.

What sets my firm apart is that we represent the art buyer exclusively, which means my firm’s focus is to serve their interests. The advantage of selecting the buy-side is that we work fully on the client’s behalf and select art from any sales venue anywhere in the world which most suits the project, budget, timeline, location, or art preferences and are not limited to a specific inventory or to the job of representing artists.

Our clients are residential, hospitality or corporate and we frequently collaborate with interior designers and either present options for the designer to show their client or are handed over to the designer’s client and work directly to find art for their space.

 

You’ve built a career at the intersection of fine art, design, and collecting, curating pieces that connect history, culture, and contemporary taste. Can you share how your professional path as an art consultant began, and how your vision has evolved over time to help clients build meaningful collections rather than simply acquire individual works?

Great question. The foundation of my art consultancy is that I both lived in the epicenter of the New York “art world” and I received an MA in the Art Market at FIT, NYC. I was seeing artists enter the scene in real time and at the same time studying, interning and then getting my first jobs in the art space – first at the Art Loss Register which traces loss and theft of important, historical art and then at UBS where I helped develop the Collectors’ Forum luncheons with museum directors, auction house presidents and key players in art for HNW clients. I learned the type of art, the people and the business that make up the art economy and it’s this 360 view that has ensured I can identify the difference between good and great art. I’ve seen trends come and go, artists and galleries enter and exit and know what has prevailing power, interest and beauty.

While there’s a core of my advisory dedicated to the long-term “collector” who buys art frequently and needs help managing and rotating across properties for the purpose of acquiring more, there’s an even more personally exciting side of my advisory that centers right here on the North Shore, Chicago which is the art buyer who needs a piece or two for their home to spark delight for their kids or just make a room pop. The best part is those are girlfriends, designer friends, friends of friends and our greater community. I get to work where we raise our family and that’s been such a homecoming, to blend my art life and my social life effortlessly while holding the value of “family first” as a number one priority.

 

Advising collectors requires balancing deep market knowledge with intuition about emerging trends. How do you stay ahead in such a dynamic industry?

This is a perfect time to clarify: I don’t run a gallery (or hold inventory so I can remain an independent advisory with no ties to a specific artist or gallery) – I did have a popup space in Glencoe several years ago that fulfilled a dream of curating, introducing myself to the North Shore and collaborating with galleries and artists in Chicago to showcase “local” art to our community. We moved back to the Shore during COVID and it was a fun way to say hello.

What keeps my firm ahead of the rest is that I have a team working in New York City seeing every show, traveling to all the fairs, building trusted relationships with galleries, creating artwork PDFs based on elevations and shifting architect’s or designer’s schedules, and working on the ground to ensure wherever our installs are happening, our clients are taken care of. When you see as much art and receive as many offers from galleries as we do, our market and art intelligence becomes incomparable. We have the capability and do build dynamic, industry-recognized private and public collections and at the same time find that one special piece for my friend who lives around the corner. The thrill of bringing art and culture to my backyard is very real!

On a final note, I want to recognize that the depth of our work correlates to my trusted number one at LK Art Consultants, Alex Stoller, whose passion for art, talent in exhibition design, mastery of logistics, installs, and running third party teams and overall backbone of our day operations is unparalleled. It is a true delight to work with her and we complement each other on every level. When we are not in the intensity and fast paced everyday, we have an important dialogue on work-life balance. She knows I’m a mom with big demands and shows respect and kindness when kid logistics mean we have to rework a meeting. It’s a reciprocal level of respect – when smart women work together, the work excels and so do we.

 

Alex Stoller and Lydia Kutko at Frieze Art Fair.

 

Your background sounds perfect to help spearhead the efforts of Antiques + Modernism Winnetka’s 53rd year, which is just around the corner! Tell us about this time-honored show, what to expect, ticket sales, etc.

It is! I’m excited for this year and together the Woman’s Board has made sweeping changes to introduce this show as the place to go and be seen with the Preview Party Gilded Hour, Golden Nights kicking off a full weekend of shopping and socializing. At the Antiques + Modernism Show Winnetka happening Friday, October 31 through Sunday, November 2, 2025, get ready to scoop up the best in antiques, art, decor and vintage clothing with our new curator Melissa Carter of Kameo Vintage bringing unique, highly wearable vintage fashion to the Shore. I will be highlighting special pieces to run out and buy in the next coming weeks and those will be highlighted on our Woman’s Board Instagram – it’s time to be inspired!

 

Melissa Carter of Kameo Vintage

 

It’s worth noting that this show is one of the oldest in the country, running consecutively for 53 years, and 1 of only 4 presented by the Antiques Council which has rigorous vendor entry standards to ensure all products are authentic and of the highest quality.

It’s a special time to come out and support our beloved Community House while getting that special something for you, your family or best of friends just ahead of the holiday season.

 

From left to right: A + M chairs Kristen Cross, Jessica Fay and Jen Zandpour.

 

Specifically, what is your role in the Show and how did you become involved in this event?

I’ve been working alongside a talented group of women and our newest PR powerhouse Abby Dunn to rethink what and how we communicate to build excitement, educate and inspire. I am new to the Woman’s Board this year but had my first conversation with the Board last year when I was tapped to dream of new ways to involve the design community and drum shoppers’ interest. What resulted was a fun pre-show event where a few top designers walked the show and placed yellow stars on their favorite pieces. This year the Board has developed the concept further which you will see rollout on social and in person at the show.

 

 

It’s been fun to apply my experience attending global art fairs for the past 20 years to the Antiques + Modernism Show. I know what makes a fair successful and how to speak to the fair goer and am excited to parlay that expertise into this and future shows.

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about the Antiques + Modernism Show?

Buy your tickets to the Preview Party and Show now and consider joining any one of the Style Society tiers for perks! You will be supporting a treasured local institution, The Community House.

 

2024 Antiques + Modernism Preview Party

 

What your contact details?

Learn more about our services on lkartconsultants.com and follow us on Instagram at @lkartconsultants.

 

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