When we hear the phrase “collecting art,” it’s not usually in the context of a home filled with young children, but for many of our collectors (myself included!), fine art and kids seemlessly fit into their lives.
My husband and I began collecting art together in 2017 with the purchase of a large Natalia Wróbel painting titled Portal II. She is an artist we had both loved for many years and we were thrilled to have the space for such an impactful painting. What we did not know was that years later it would be the backdrop for many birthday parties filled with babies and toddlers; trains set up nearby during Christmas; dinners together as a family; along with so many other wonderful life memories with our children.
What have we learned about having our sons, ages 3 and 1, surrounded by fine art?
- Curious fingers will reach out to touch a painting or sculpture, these little moments are impossible to avoid if the artwork is within reach. By surrounding our sons with artwork we love, they learn how to live nearby it. This large-scale Natalia Wróbel painting has smiled alongside singing children at every birthday party – radiating so much joy in our home.
- Piles of toys can exist in the same space as a high end work of art. Our stroller sits below a wonderful Austin Eddy painting I acquired in 2020 from Althius Hofland Fine Art. The title is To Leap On The Back Of The Wind, and given that the word “bird” has been among the first words for both of our children – it's contined to prove to be both beautiful as well as a fun way to explore language.
Artwork: Austin Eddy - Using art as a tool to engage with your kids can be both fun and educational. We had wanted to acquire a Katelyn Ledford painting for many years and finally found the piece that perfectly fit in our home from a recent solo exhibition at M+B Gallery in Los Angeles. The painting is titled Don’t Air Out My Dirty Laundry, and when our son was two-years-old and learning to talk, we loved pointing at the various objects and saying ‘sock!’, ‘underwear!,’ ‘butterfly!’ The butterfly is rendered with such hyperrealism that our son tried to pull it off the canvas the day it arrived.
Artwork: Katelyn Ledford - Art acquisitions can be a wonderful way for kids to learn more about you. Pelle Cass’ Dartmouth Hockey hangs in our living room above the couch. I went to Dartmouth College and my husband plays hockey to this day. Our oldest is now learning to skate and our youngest joins us at the rink to watch (impatiently awaiting his day on the ice!), so this photograph now feels like a part of our whole family.
Artwork: Pelle Cass - Children may alter your view of collecting art. Since becoming a mom I now enjoy finding impactful artworks about motherhood. When I brought home Hilary Doyle’s painting titled Mother and Child Dandelions, I was 12 weeks pregnant with our second son and feeling a curiosity and a sadness around the idea going from one child to two. The painting reminded me of the quiet moments picking dandelions with my oldest before his brother joined us. Then I came across Elizabeth King Stanton’s artwork in a fantastic show titled Raw Emotion at Jameson and Thompson curated by Alison Judd. The painting is called Tidying Hack and a hilarious interpretation of life as a multitasking mother.
Artwork: Elizabeth King Stanton
Artwork: Hilary Doyle
Life with young children is that sweet combination of joy and choas, but if we pause for a moment and enjoy our surroundings, then we know we have chosen well with our collection.
Written by Abigail Ogilvy.
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