Art

I am an unabashed, lifelong art fan, lucky enough to have lived in and visited many of the greatest cities in the world celebrating this amazing medium.

The PBS series, Independent Lens, is kicking off its 2009-2010 season tonight with one of my favorite documentaries of the year. Herb and Dorothy chronicles the adventures of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, who have spent their married life of over 40 years together quietly amassing one of the world's most important and richest private contemporary art collections. Not so extraordinary until you consider that they are a now-retired postal worker and librarian living in a tiny, one-bedroom NYC apartment.

Since the 1960s, the couple has lived on Dorothy's paycheck and spent Herb's collecting the works of unknown artists (many now masters), primarily focusing on Minimalist and Conceptual art that was largely ignored in the early days. They eventually managed to acquire several thousand works of art, all stored in their apartment from floor to ceiling. And they have never sold a single piece! It's a fantastic and almost poignant tale captured by first-time filmmaker, Megumi Sasaki.

An incredible true story about finding one's passion in life and defying stereotypes. Definitely check it out - the Vogels had me smiling for days. :)