Passionately devoted to contemporary art and artists, Dorothy and Herb Vogel—a New York City postal clerk and his wife, a librarian—began, in 1962, to build what would become a legendary art collection. They collected the art of their time and got to know the artists and their work; eventually bringing together some 5000 artworks. In 1991, the Vogels donated most of their collection to the National Gallery in Washington. In addition, they selected 50 works for one museum in each of the 50 U.S. states. The Seattle Art Museum is the beneficiary in the state of Washington and will exhibit the Vogel gift in the spring of 2013, which will be contextualized by works from the museum’s collection. To view the collection and learn more about the Vogels go to http://vogel5050.org.
–Catharina Manchanda, Jon & Mary Shirley Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art
This exhibition was a joint initiative of the Trustees of the Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection and the National Gallery of Art, with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
Wooden Bird for Dorothy, 1990, Cheryl Laemmle, American, born 1947, oil on board, 18 1/4 x 14in., Seattle Art Museum, The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Fifty States, a joint initiative of the Trustees of the Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection and the National Gallery of Art, with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute for Museum and Library Services, 2008.29.15, © Cheryl Laemmle, Photo: Elizabeth Mann