Rotary Explores the Drake Art Collection with BMA Panel

Gail Andrews, Hallie Ringle, Rebecca and Jack Drake with RCB President Brenda Hackney following the presentation.

Jack and Rebecca Drake with Past President Donald Sweeney and his wife Ann.

The Rotary Club of Birmingham recently welcomed a panel exploring the Drake Art Collection at the Birmingham Museum of Art. The program featured an overview of the collection by Hallie Ringle, the BMA’s Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art, followed by a discussion with Gail Andrews, the BMA’s Director Emerita, and Jack and Rebecca Drake, long-time art collectors and dedicated supporters of the museum.

Together the Drakes have gifted nearly one hundred works of art to the Museum. Jack previously served on the museum’s board, and Rebecca is a current member of the Committee on Collections. Ringle shared the importance of the Drakes’ visionary collection of works by artists of German, African, Asian, Latin American, and Native American descent.

“Jack and Rebecca have really left an indelible mark on the contemporary collection,” said Ringle. “From the works that they’ve gifted to the works that they’ve contributed funds to buy, through other types of influence, they have actually contributed five percent of our contemporary collection at the BMA. And this is a really important five percent. One of the many important things about their collection is that it actually fills gaps in the BMA’s collection. We are a global museum and so we can’t possibly collect everything, but there are definitely artists of interest and the BMA and the Drakes are really attuned to that.”

Highlighted works include November Grove by Richard Mayhew, Young Girl in Black Catholic Church, Long View by Ming Smith, Whatitdo by Sanford Biggers, Basketball Pyramid by David Huffman, Imperishable Stars by Erin LeAnn Mitchell, Nightmare Katrina 2 by El Franco Lee II, Soft Serve and Under Tarp by Kambui Olujimi, Rain Catcher by Jiha Moon and Malcolm's Chickens III by Willie Cole.

“Some of the first work that I was drawn to was by artists that had something to say about the world, but they also had something to say about art,” Jack said.

The Drakes discussed how they started collecting contemporary art, where they look for new works and the relationships they build and maintain with preeminent artists across the country and world.

“When you know an artist and you love the work, it enhances it and makes it more exciting,” Rebecca said. “The advice that I would give anybody who wants to start an art collection—first and foremost, buy what you love. Don’t buy it for any other reason. Just start with what you want to see on your wall all the time. The trips that we’ve gone on with the museum have helped us tremendously. We love to go to art shows, to fairs…you just look for what you really like.”

“Go very, very slowly,” Jack said. “There’s no need to get in any kind of rush to buy something just so you can say ‘Well, I have some contemporary art.’ You’ve got time to learn and to reach a level of comfort about where you begin to trust your own judgement.”