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THE TOP 25 L ester Marks and his wife, physician Dr. Penelope Gonzalez Marks, are among the most active collectors in the state. Their art-packed West University home features avant- garde installations and vitrine-like rooms that resemble the Cornell boxes Lester so assiduously acquires. The Marks Collection boasts in-depth holdings of Anselm Kiefer and Houston's two- time Whitney Biennial-exhibited Trenton Doyle Hancock, as well as artworks by Richard Long, Tony Oursler, Andy Warhol, Donald Judd, Robert Rauschenberg, Radcliffe Bailey, and Ruth Asawa. Recently, Lester has pivoted to focus on (Continued) social-justice art. He says of the talents currently on display at Casa Marks: "I would call attention to a handful of blue- chip artists whom I find to be inspirational, such as Kerry James Marshall, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nick Cave, Titus Kaphar, Amoako Boafo, Otis Quaicoe, Jammie Holmes (Dallas), Deborah Roberts (Austin), Angelbert Metoyer (Houston), Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Michael Ray Charles (Houston), Clementine Hunter, Banksy, Nathaniel Donnett (Houston), Robert Pruitt (Houston reared), and Betye Saar." LESTER AND PENELOPE MARKS, HOUSTON NANCY NASHER AND DAVID HAEMISEGGER, DALLAS R a y m o n d a n d Patsy Nasher were legendary for their eye for collecting — most notably, in the medium of modern sculpture, which was not widely acquired when they first started collecting in the '50s. They amassed substantial holdings of the world's most renowned sculptures, including works by Picasso, Rodin, and Calder. Raymond, the visionary developer behind NorthPark Center, used that retail destination to introduce millions to these iconic artists. The apple didn't fall far, as one of their children, Nancy Nasher, is also a passionate collector, alongside her husband, David Haemisegger. As the current owners and operators of NorthPark Center, they exhibit the monumental pieces they've acquired over the years in the common areas, including Leo Villareal's LED-illuminated Buckyball, 2015; Barry Flanagan's Large Leaping Hare, 1982; and KAWS' Clean Slate, 2015. They proudly call NorthPark Center "the only shopping museum in the world." Deborah Roberts' Political Lambs in a Wolf's World, 2018 Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's Corridor Pin, Blue, 1999 Nick Cave's Soundsuit, 2013 (Continued from page 88) 90