Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1480367
— even a large painting in the living room by Barnaby Fitzgerald depicts fragments of classical stone sculptures, a ruined landscape of stone heads, hands, feet. They're drawn to naturalistic works by regional artists: A carved pelican by Austin artist David Everett was the couple's 10th anniversary gift to each other, and they own a piece by Sherry Owens, who creates sculptures from crape myrtle branches. Kana Harada's foam- board cutout sculpture resembles delicate fern fronds and leafy branches. For the Vogels, collecting is not only a passion but a way to support and encourage artists. "If we had children, we'd be spending our extra money on their education, but we don't, so we spend it on art," Cheryl says. Without children to inherit, the long-term future of Valley House and its garden is in question. It weighs heavily on Kevin, who is searching for avenues to preserve his family's heritage. As Cheryl talks, a woman who has been wandering the garden makes her way to the house and peers in the living-room window. Visitors to the gallery are encouraged to look at the gardens, so strangers on the back patio are a regular occurrence. Their private garden sometimes feels like a public park, and the Vogels have come to terms with this reality. Families bring their kids on Easter to take pictures, and business people bring sack lunches on breaks. During COVID, the Vogels hosted a picnic and concert by the Orchestra of New Spain, and most recently, art students held a class in the garden. "It reinforces the concept that this property is a much bigger idea than just where we live," Cheryl says. "We have this beautiful place, so why not share all of it?" Yellow flag irises blooming in the pond during May are joined in late summer by red spider lilies and purple-hued pickerel weed, a gift from artist David Gibson. Specific trees and plants were chosen to encourage insects and the wildlife that feed on them to flourish, and only natural insecticides like garlic are used on the garden. 73