This New Hamptons Exhibition Spotlights Female Collectors Shaping the Art World

“Conceiving the idea of the exhibition was a bit like connecting the dots on a picture that had always been there, but was now revealing itself in a new way and with a greater appreciation as more and more dots that thread together,” Levinson tells Galerie. “Over the past five to ten years, there has been a reckoning in the art world for celebrating the talent and influence of female artists, but what of the female collector?”

“Through Simone Levinson’s vision, we have gathered a selection of works, many of which are being shown together for the first time, that together offer a place of discovery for our visitors; to encounter new artists and engage with contemporary culture,” says Folasade Ologundudu, a co-curator of the exhibition. “We worked alongside these diverse and thoughtful collectors to bring this timely show to Southampton,” says Xiaoyu Weng, co-curator of the exhibition. “Weaving together the rich storylines of these works, the exhibition addresses topics that interact with our lives, and are relevant to complex social and cultural issues, such as identity, tradition, memory, spirituality, and meanings of being together.” Adds Kate Fowle, co-curator of the exhibition. “They are true agents of change.”

Below, Simone Levinson sheds light on the powerful concept, the female collectors making history now, and what the visitor can take away from the experience.

Visionary Collectors of Note

“The launch of Beth DeWoody’s Bunker in Palm Beach, as well as her voracious appetite for supporting emerging artists and organizations over the past 40 years, is widely known. Collectors such as Emily Fisher Landau and Jane Holzer have contributed countless works of art to both the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and The Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach, so that those institutions could have wider representation in their collections. Lisa Perry recently created an incubator and amplifier for female artists with Onna House in East Hampton. Whether married or single, these are just a few examples of women who individually used their passion for art for something greater for the communities around them. I felt they were unsung heroes and each story inspirational.”

A Philanthropic Mission

“This show does not simply highlight women collectors who acquire art to hang on the walls of their homes. The title of the show, Change Agents, reveals the impetus of their passion, and that is to use the power and possibility of art to impact the world around them. These women struck me as modern-day pioneers that have shaped the art world through the organizations they contribute to, or even founded. Their support of emerging artists at a time when nascent careers are the most fragile states the obvious. Each of the 14 women collectors included in Change Agents stand on the shoulders of some of the greatest philanthropic visionaries of the modern art world.”

The Untold Stories of Art History

While David Rockefeller was building Chase Bank, Abigail Rockefeller founded MoMa, and then there was Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and of course, Peggy Guggenheim. While each of these individually may not be untold stories, I had come to discover it was a bigger story that had not been told when all thread together.

Lasting Impact 

“It is the hope that visitors not only walk away with a deeper recognition for the contribution of these women, but perhaps see a possibility for themselves and are encouraged to “buy that piece of art.”  And perhaps for those that already have collections of their own, to consider the greater contribution they could be making with and through their shared commitment to the arts.”

The exhibition is on view through September 30, 2023.