PaperCity Magazine

PaperCity Houston_April_2021

Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1354783

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 71 of 99

who knew her best, the collector's daughter, and Sotheby's top brass. Two Museum Directors Weigh In "Anne Marion embodied the strength and fearlessness of the American West while having the discerning eye of a connoisseur," says Kimbell Art Museum director Eric M. Lee. Her generosity knew no bounds and will have an impact on Texas and the nation for generations to come … For nearly 40 years, she served on the board of the Kimbell Art Foundation and supported the museum munificently. When the Kimbell bid at auction for a Matisse, and the bidding exceeded by millions the Kimbell's limit, she secured the painting for the museum by boldly stepping in and funding the difference. She purchased other works for the museum, including sculptures by Fernand Léger and Henry Moore, a 1914 masterpiece by Mondrian and, most recently, a canvas by Sisley, which Mrs. Marion gave to the Kimbell in honor of her friend Kay Fortson, president of the Kimbell Art Foundation." The Modern's director, Marla Price, recalls, "Anne Marion was a great and generous supporter of our museum. She purchased the land for our new building and chaired the Building Committee, that hired architect Tadao Ando. For many years, she chaired the Modern's Acquisitions Committee and, with her husband John, donated more than 150 works to our collection, including some of our most important acquisitions, like Richard Serra's Vortex. She was also lots of fun," says Price. "Former chief curator Michael Auping and I traveled around Japan with her in early 1997 to see as many buildings by Ando as possible. She was so impressed with what she had seen that she kissed Mr. Ando when we arrived at his office in Osaka, much to his great surprise." A Daughter Remembers Marion's daughter Windi Grimes, who grew up in Frisco and now lives in Houston, has taken up Marion's mantle, continuing her mother's tradition and inspiration as relating to land, family, and philanthropy. I know your mother collected over a lifetime. Can you share a few details of how she lived with the artwork. Windi Grimes: My grandmother [Anne Burnett Tandy] built the I.M. Pei house in Fort Worth and had originally planned to give it to The Modern, much like Bayou Bend was given to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. I think that's why I.M. Pei agreed to do it. After he died, there was an article that he only ever designed three residences. My grandmother was the founder of The Modern. It was the first art museum in Texas and was originally called the Fort Worth Art Association. My mom obviously spearheaded the new Tadao Ando building. My grandmother's art collection was really good; she had a much more eclectic collection, that I think stems from the Grand Tour type of thinking. She bought a lot of art on trips. Then my mother came along, traded almost all of it, and decided she was going to start completely over and have a very cohesive collection. Where did your mother acquire, from auction or dealers? WG: All over the place. I went to New York with her several times. I was probably a sophomore/ junior at Hockaday when I started painting. I really loved it. One day, she said, "Let's go to New York. If you could have lunch with anybody, who would it be?" And I said, "[art dealer] Leo Castelli." I was prob- ably the only high school girl in Dallas that was reading Interview magazine." Clockwise from top: Franz Kline's Mister, 1959, an icon of the Abstract Expressionist move- ment, among the top lots in the Marion auction, estimate $15 to $20 million. Andy Warhol's Elvis 2 Times, 1963, estimate $20 to $30 million, speaks to the lore of the American cowboy via the King. Clyfford Still's PH-125 (1948-No.1), 1948, may command as much as $25 to $35 million. (Continued from page 52) (Continued on page 56) 54

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of PaperCity Magazine - PaperCity Houston_April_2021