Addicted to Art

For some of your neighbors, it’s a way of life. The art scene. Whether art deco, modern, abstract or contemporary, many resident art collectors feel fervently about their art collections. Here they share what’s behind their passion.

Tanglewood’s John Bebout has been building his art collection for 35 years. His affinity for collecting art began in the ‘70s, when he started collecting antique ceiling fans and then eventually branched into other art genres. Today, his 6,000- square-foot home serves as a gallery for his art deco and modern furniture as well as pieces by sculptor Jesus Morales and painter Donald Roller Wilson

John, who’s always been an art lover, is a member of several Houston museums, including the Contemporary Arts Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Lawndale Art Center, and the Blaffer Gallery, and has periodically loaned some of his pieces out to area museums. He’s also a member of many museums outside Houston, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Texas A&M’s Forsythe Gallery.

“I think art is vital for life,” John says, “because it is a constant, multisensual stimulant that will create more questions for you than answers.” For John, he finds those questions in the work of Morales, who he likes for the “finesse he imparts to monumental stone pieces,” and Wilson, who exhibits a true “realism and story behind his paintings.”

Jan and John Bebout with a sculpture of and for actress Dolores del Rio. The artist, now deceased, was Victor Salmones of Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo: www.andrewsphoto.com)

​John put together his collection somewhat haphazardly, he says, collecting items “one at a time, with no plan on what was coming next or where it would go.”

Memorial collector Laurie Foxx has put her collection together in a similar fashion. An artist herself, Laurie and her husband, Kevin, have a collection made up of mainly contemporary, abstract, and modern art. She says when making selections for their collection, there is just one criterion—“We buy what we love.” “It’s like you can feel the energy of the artist in the piece. We both know when we love a piece. Something inside tell us it’s just right for us,” Laurie says.

The Foxx home is a gallery for their artwork, with pieces displayed in the pantry and even the closets. Among her collection are pieces by local artists Salli Babbitt, sculptors Susan Budge and Michelle O’Michael, and Gracy Hall, among many others. They also have a number of “family pieces” mixed in as the Foxxes are an artistic bunch. Laurie and Kevin’s son Jason is an artist, as was Laurie’s mother Barbara Trigg.

While their family pieces are some of Laurie’s favorites, the Foxx’s most prized acquisition is a piece by the French artist Miro—Defile De Mannequins En Laponie. But, as Laurie is quick to say, “We love all our art!”

“I believe that art is a way of life,” Laurie says. “It’s an expression of our inner world and a reflection of emotion, expansion of thought, and a collection of experiences into a new and individual form. Anytime an artist is brave enough to share a part of him or herself in their work, it’s a gift.”

Art has certainly been a way of life for Laurie. With an artist for a mother, a love of the arts was instilled in her at an early age. She and her brothers and sisters grew up painting, drawing, and making pottery and paper maché.

But for those without a lifelong art interest or those who are not yet collectors but would like to get into the art scene, Houston art consultant Julie Kinzelman recognizes that the process can seem overwhelming. Through her business, Kinzelman Art Consulting, Julie assists clients in acquiring work for a collection.

“Starting a collection can be very intimidating,” Julie says. “I encourage people to spend as much time as possible just looking in museums, studios, or galleries looking at works and examining what is most meaningful to them before making an acquisition. You should apply the same philosophy to buying a piece of art that you would to buying a car or a TV—do some research.”

John suggests joining at least two local galleries and museums and getting on their mailing list. Then attend their events, meet people, and get a feel for the scene. He particularly recommends Art Crawl, an annual event where art is displayed in the artist’s home or studio space, and Art League Houston, a nonprofit organization that regularly showcases art and artists, as great places to start.

Julie’s advice to wanna-be art collectors? “Think about what you respond to emotionally and conceptually,” Julie says. “Art is most powerful when it creates a response in you.”