09 May Editor’s Note: Building Connections

In this issue of WA&A, when collector Jerre Lynn Vanier was asked what inspires her to collect art, she answered, “There’s nothing I like to collect more than associations with artists; I love being a part of history with them.”

Vanier, who is profiled alongside her mother in “Collector’s Eye,” reminds us that art tells a story, and collecting art — building relationships with artists whose work you’re drawn to — perpetuates that story. To understand an artist’s or architect’s intention behind their work adds plot and depth, character and interest. And to purchase a work of art ensures that those stories endure. It also allows the creator to continue to explore, calling our attention to those moments of life that should be recognized.

For photographer Lois Conner, those moments have become a contemporary record of the West. Shaped by her mentors and heritage, Conner’s depictions are images that future generations may admire with wonder and think, “imagine that” (“In Search of Connection.”)

One historic artist that many revere with wonder is Albert Bierstadt. In “Perspective,” we examine his record of painting figures within his grand landscapes and the reasons behind those rare, artistic choices.

Sustainability was the primary focus for both Anni Tilt and David Arkin when they first studied design. Some 20 years later, their firm, Arkin Tilt, demonstrates their success by blending environmentally conscience architecture with beauty (“Rendering.”)

And one might wonder where the career of 33–year–old artist Jivan Lee will lead. For now, he quotes painter Alex Katz when he describes his process, saying he paints with “faster-than-thought” creative impulses (“No Doors.”)

In this issue of WA&A, I invite you to consider how you might view a painting or structure differently before and after reading the creator’s story. And I hope you feel inspired to collect and preserve these stories, ultimately becoming an important part of Western art history.

Christine Rogel, Editor in Chief