Vogel 50x50
by muffy
The exhibition An Economy of Means: The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection opens at the University of Michigan Museum of Art on Saturday, January 30th.
In 2008 the University of Michigan Museum of Art was one of 50 museums selected to receive a gift of 50 works of art from Herb and Dorothy Vogel. A previous blog relates the extraordinary story of Herbert, a postal clerk, and Dorothy, a reference librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, who managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history with very modest means.
The couple began collecting in the early 1960s. Their collection, notable both for the character and breadth of the objects, was guided by two rules: the piece had to be affordable, and it had to be small enough to fit in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment. They were among the first collectors to buy work by artists who were virtually unknown at the time but went on to achieve considerable acclaim such as Robert Barry and Richard Tuttle.
A gallery talk is scheduled for 2 p.m. on opening day. Watch the Museum's program guide for upcoming events and docent-guided tours of the exhibition.
Learn more about the Vogels' 50 gifts for 50 states.
Lynda Benglis
American, born 1941
Tacpere Maptom, 1985
glass
22 x 5 ½ (diam.) in. (Image shown)
© Lynda Benglis / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY *
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And now the Library has
And now the Library has ordered the wonderful documentary about them: "Herb and Dorothy: You don't have to be a Rockefeller to collect art." Get on the waitlist.