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subject of two critically praised biographies, A Generous Vision: The Creative Life of Elaine de Kooning and Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler — lived here from 1975 to 1989. Then the property on Alewive Brook Road was acquired by sculptor John Chamberlain, next by artist Richmond Burton, from whom Byrne bought it in 2011. Katherine McMahon, who is the constant in the day-to-day for the house — from whipping up scrambled eggs for hungry visitors to tending to residents' artistic needs — explains, "Elaine's legacy and the history of the house live on through special touches like a self-portrait drawing from the '40s, as well as her original studio table and ladder, which still function and live within the house. The bowling-alley floor, which was used to create the kitchen counter, gives visitors a unique sense of Elaine and her style. Contributions from artists who've previously done residencies at the house (such as Jerry "The Marble Faun," Anke Weyer, the Reeder brothers) all contribute to the feeling that this house really is a sacred space for artists." Kambel and King After my visit in October, everything exploded for Byrne and the artists that he has promoted. The young Philadelphia self-taught sculptor Kambel Smith gained instant notoriety after an exhibit at the Elaine de Kooning House followed by being featured in Byrne's booth at the Outsider Art Fair. Smith's human-scaled models of his hometown's buildings ingeniously crafted from cardboard in a DIY manner caught the eye of influential critics Holland Cotter and Jerry Saltz, and garnered upcoming exhibitions in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and at New York's Marlborough Gallery. Independent curator Byrne — who should have "artist champion" embossed upon his calling card — has also recently seen the artist he has long mentored, exhibited, and shepherded into the collection of MoMA — Susan Te Kahurangi King — shown in a 60-year survey at Chicago's celebrated Intuit space, for outsider and intuitive art. The Henry Darger Room Collection makes Intuit a fabled destination for collectors and scholars of the art movement. Reverberations from Alewive Brook Road While I'd been to other residencies — Artpace in San Antonio and 100 W Corsicana, each quite unique and housed in historic buildings interwoven into community — there was something about Elaine de Kooning House that resonated with me. Byrne said the unstructured, spontaneous residency has become a fertile ground for discoveries. He used a music analogy: "It's been, like, 'Go out there and record your demos.' Or, 'Bring [the talent] in, you'll go on to a big label.' Sedrick was already far along, but this applies to artists such as Kambel Smith." Also contributing to the vibe are the invited guests and organized events, which have put this residency on the art-world radar: a roster of cocktails and gatherings for groups as diverse as Art21, Dallas Contemporary, Institute 193, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit, have brought collectors and press to the house. Then there's the celeb factor: The powerful and famous live in proximity. During my stay, neighbor Kate Capshaw dropped off fresh-baked bread as a thank you after Huckaby looked at her work and offered a critique. Huckaby said of his residency and time in the Hamptons: "This was a place where Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, and many others lived and worked. I felt like I was taking a very brief walk, maybe a few steps, in their shoes." (continued from page 77) With something this important, trust in your Realtor® is everything. Luxury Living IN A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU 713.446.2473 sporter@heritagetexas.com ■ shellyporter.com 5-STAR CLIENT RATING ■ CERTIFIED NEGOTIATION EXPERT ACCREDITED LUXURY HOME SPECIALIST SHELLY PORTER A Proven Top Producer