Exploring a Lifelong Passion: Small Pieces We’ve Collected Over the Years is a tour de force of lovely art shared and curated by Southern California artist A.M. Rousseau. The works presented in an impressive single day exhibition at bG gallery November 5th, are part of a collection that she and her late husband pursuied as a part of their enduring, shared passion for art.
Their assembled collection reflects their deep committment to art and fellow artists – and to their belief in nurturing a sense of community within the art world. The tribute paid to artists is joined with another sort of tribute – that to Rousseau’s late husband Duvall Hecht.
Displaying over 50 distinctive artists, each serves as part of an engaging art tapestry that offers insight into the artists and the spirits of their collectors, as well.
According to Rousseau, the timing for this exhibition was “about community, the artist community. I think like many of us, I have a lot of works of art that my husband and I purchased or that came to us through gifts or trading with other artists. It has been a joy to collect this work, and while it can hang in my house, after my husband passed, I had the impulse to share it with the other artists and anyone else who might be interested. ”
The single day extravaganze of art began as what she envisioned to be simply a “small fun project. Maybe I would have a dinner party and invite the artists. It daily grew larger when I realized there were over 65 pieces, and if I wanted to show the pieces I would need to find an exhibition space – which led me to bG Gallery in Santa Monica.”
As to the collection itself, Rousseau reveals that to assemble it “my husband and I looked for things we loved that fit within our budget, but we would also try to support wonderful work in shows where things otherwise did not sell. Of course, we could only ever buy small pieces, but we wanted to support artists when possible. We found many works on paper which we always meant to frame but ended up sitting in drawers for too long.” This formed part of the impetus for the show, when she says she decided it would be meaningful to have “all of them framed and put them together for an exhibition in memory of all the great times we had looking at art together and going to shows. It gave me a lot of happiness just knowing how much he would have loved this project.”
Rousseau has also assembled an inclusive, intimate catalog about the works. “The catalog was put together by myself, and I wrote the text in it. That was also a really enjoyable part of putting this show together. I loved looking closely again at many of the pieces and writing what I felt about the work.”
Despite the large scale nature of the exhibition, she relates that she has no other plans after the show regarding the works. “I don’t plan to sell anything. It might be nice to have it travel. I really would love to give it away somewhere to an organization or a place that would want it.”
Asked to select a favorite work, she stresses that “It’s hard to say what either of our favorite pieces are as really, we loved them all. It’s like having a favorite child. How could you pick?”
But that said, when pushed she relates “I have to choose the one called “Our kitchen, Peck Dr., Beverly Hills, CA.” by Virginia Sackett. As I wrote in the catalog, this is a work that was in my husband’s mothers’ possession for 50 years, and I have now owned for 30 years. I think it is an exceptional piece, and I have looked at it many times thinking about the person who created it.” Making this piece exceptionally personal, Rousseau adds “It was made by my husband’s mother’s maid who worked in the kitchen that is portrayed in the picture. Obviously, if is possible to decipher the essence of this painting, it’s a kitchen the artist appeared to love. She was a woman whose artistic abilities were likely entirely unrecognized during her lifetime, excepting this one picture, framed by her employer, and preserved by her employer’s children, finally coming into my possession. I can’t say enough about how much I love this painting and I know my husband did too. While the talent of this artist might not have been acknowledged, I am grateful for this painting that allows us to know her.”
As both an artist herself and a collector and curator, Rousseau asserts that what she most wants readers to know about the exhibition and her view of collecting art, is this: “There is great joy in creating collections of work on very small budgets, and sharing work with the community of artists is an honor and a privilege. Supporting artists in whatever way possible can have lasting importance.”
Don’t miss seeing this lovingly collected, cherished, and well-curated exhibition. There will be an opening reception Sunday, November 5th from 4-7 p.m. at bG gallery, and Rousseau will be present to offer her own insights and experiences, as well as offering her comprehensively compiled catalog of the artworks for viewers.
bG is located at 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica #12 in Bergamot Station.
- Genie Davis; images provided by A.M. Rousseau