I recently saw “Herb and Dorothy,” a documentary being shown at the University of Michigan Art Museum, in conjunction with the exhibit, An Economy of Means: The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection. It got me thinking a lot about the lengths we go to pursue a passion.
By the way, the UMMA is a treasure of a museum that I’ll talk more about another time. It’s one of 50 museums that has received 50 items from the National Gallery of Art’s Vogel 50×50 collection. You can read more about the Vogels and the 4,782 pieces of contemporary art they amassed in many publications, including here and here but, in a nutshell, the story goes more or less like this: The couple decided early in their marriage to live on her salary (she worked as a librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library) and use his (he worked for the U.S. Postal Service) to buy art. They had two criteria: the piece had to be affordable, and it had to fit in their small, one-bedroom apartment. Works they could carry home themselves or by taxi were all the more appealing. It’s a wonderful story on many levels, and if you’re not familiar with it, treat yourself and follow some of the links above (or do your own Google search–they’ve been covered a lot since the movie came out).
That was a long buildup to say, learning about the Vogels’ life set me pondering what we do–or give up–to pursue our passions, be they art, music, writing, travel, what have you. I doubt the Vogels feel they missed out on much in the process. Active, engaged people, living in one of the most exciting cities in the world, they seemed perfectly content in their little apartment, with art displayed (or stored) on every available surface. In fact, when the National Gallery began paying the couple an annuity after they donated their collection (five moving trucks later), according to a curator in the documentary, they simply bought more art and refilled the apartment.
The protagonist in my novel, Grace, turned down a proposal from the man she loved so she could travel.
Real-world friends of mine sold their lovely home, gave away most of their possessions, said ‘adios’ to family and friends and set off on what has become a decade-long adventure sailing throughout the Mediterranean. (I’m going to meet them in Sevilla for the Feria de Abril in about a week.)
This couple put their stuff into storage and took to the road, too (although I have to say, it doesn’t sound like too much of a sacrifice!)
Flyover America blogger and widely published freelance writer Jenna Schnuer gave up her adorable NYC apartment in preparation for a summer roadtrip to Alaska. (Also check out Jenna’s window project–I visited Jenna once when I was back in New York, and the amazing view from her kitchen window always stuck with me!)
The Vogels’ story is as much about pursuing a passion (or battling addiction, some might argue) as it is about art. What are your passions? And how do you ensure they’re a big part of your life?
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