If you don’t know who the Vogels are (and even if you do) you should definitely check out the award-winning documentary Herb & Dorothy, directed by first-time filmmaker Megumi Sasaki. The film tells the story of a charming couple, postal clerk (Herbert Vogel) and librarian (Dorothy Vogel), who built a contemporary art collection with very little. The film shows how dedicated the Vogels have been to art and how their art collecting is an art form in itself. It was intriguing to see how the Vogels get immersed in the creative process, even buying pieces that were drafts or elements of that process and not finished pieces.
The film includes appearances from noteworthy featured artists such as Chuck Close, and it’s also inspiring to be reminded there are generous spirits like the Vogels. They donated a large portion of their collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. and had a successful kickstarter campaign for their 50×50 site to donate 50 pieces of their collection to each of the 50 states in the USA.
Definitely check out Herb & Dorothy, and you can support the completion & release of their follow-up film, 50×50.
