FOR THOSE OF us on the outside, the art world can appear to be an unregulated mess, full of greedy players, dubious dealers, and criminal collectors ready to spend millions on a masterpiece only to lock it up and hide it from the world in a climate-controlled cage. While all of that is more or less true, at some point, a budding artist will need to figure out how to navigate the business of making art while maintaining a practice and creating work to share with the world. Meanwhile, first-time collectors with the best of intentions often need straightforward, honest advice when purchasing a work of art.