Odyssey Spotlight

You don’t have to be a Rockefeller to collect art.

I saw this subtitle of a documentary film by Megumi Sasaki recently and was very interested as it refers to a couple of unconventional art collectors that I had the pleasure to meet numerous times in New York in the 80s and 90s. Herb Vogel was a postal clerk and Dorothy Vogel was a librarian and despite their modest means, this couple was able to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history.

They began with small artworks due to the size of most New York apartments. The small pieces were also more affordable. After decades of befriending and supporting artists through purchases, their multi-million dollar collection was recently donated to the National Gallery. Richard Tuttle, Chuck Close, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Lynda Benglis, and Lucio Pozzi are just a few of the artists’ work they acquired. Needless to say, the work increased in value monumentally!

Speak to any collectors and they will tell you that building a collection is a gratifying and intellectually stimulating experience. For many, buying art is more than a hobby, it’s a way of life – one that involves visiting galleries and museums, belonging to arts organizations, planning vacations around art fairs and museum shows, attending lectures, taking classes and reading.