Wendy and Damian Kavanagh, Kirkwood
Background: She is the executive director of the Georgia Society of Association Executives. He is a classics teacher at the Westminster Schools. The couple fell into art collecting soon after they married 15 years ago. "Early on, we decided it was something we wanted to do," he said. "It wasn't even disposable income back then."
Fortunately, a few local artists offered layaway plans to help the Kavanaghs feed their passion.
Now their collection is so large that they jokingly refer to a tucked-away corner of their home as a place "where art goes to die." It's crammed with colorful works, including drawings by their 11-year-old son, Owen, and 7-year-old daughter, K.K. The family motto: "If you frame it, it becomes art."
Collecting focus: Paintings by local artists H.C. Warner, Erin Smith, Kirk Stansbury and Westminster art teacher Walter DuPriest, with a few still-life drawings by Wendy's father sprinkled in. The Kavanaghs have turned art-collecting into such a family affair that every Christmas, they give their children a new piece.
Favorite piece: A "metal quilt" of a reclining woman by Richmond-based artist Kim Eubank. They commissioned the artist to create something special to hang above their mantel, which then took a year to complete. Eubank's husband, Will Armstrong, sketched the graceful figure, and his original drawing hangs in the Kavanaghs' bedroom.
Why they love it: The colors, the craftsmanship, and the contrast between its sensual curves and sharp corners. "It's just a gut-level reaction, where you see something and it tends to take your breath away," he said. "It's one of those pieces where everything comes together," she added. "Our neighbors say when our blinds are open at night, she's beautiful."
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