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IN THE PICTURE:
Three savvy, well informed women share their thoughts on collecting and navigating Dallas Art Fair

Terri Provencal for PATRON - LINK TO FULL TEXT

Entrepreneur Catalina Gonzalez Jorba founded Dondolo, a women and children's clothing line hand smocked and embroidered in her native Colombia. "I especially love collaborating with watercolor artists to bring my visions to life."

As a child, she lived in Cartegna with a mother who filled her childhood home with the works of artists from her country. "I loved the opportunity to listen co Colombian artist Marfa Berrio share her story with us at TWO x TWO in October of last year. I was touched by the way she spoke about depicting her son in her artworks."

Gonzalez Jorba graduated from SMU as an economics and finance major with a minor in art, realizing both her passions. Her collecting journey began when she and her husband, Santiago, began remodeling their home in Dallas with Sees Design. "l wanted to be more intentional about the art that was going to be in our forever home in which my sons were raised. We collect principally to enrich the lives of our four sons (ages 12, 10, 7, and 4)." In a male-dominated home she feels it's important for her "sons to grow up surrounded by artworks by female artists."

The couple works with local art advisor Temple Shipley, who she says has been "very nurturing throughout the process and shares her knowledge every day. We've collected works on paper, prints, photographs, and paintings-almost all are united by a bold use of color."

Shipley guided them to Susan Weil's 1999 Configuration (Beige) from JDJ Gallery at Dallas Art Fair in 2021, which was one of their first acquisitions. "I love the way chat Susan depicted the female form in a modern manner and decided to hang the artwork in my home office. Susan's bright-blue brushstrokes against the beige background inspired the blue herons in the de Gournay wallpaper that envelops the room."

Other Dallas An Fair finds include three Virginia Jaramillo prints from Hales that reference her paintings from the 1970s; a round canvas by Velia de Juliis from Pauli Ochi's gallery; a selection of eight·by-eight-inch paintings by Emily LaCour from Valley House; and a Charles Hascoët from Josée Bienvenu. "l've also acquired works from regular exhibitors Night Gallery, James Barron, and Anat Ebgi."

Gonzalez Jorba works closely with Shipley to maintain a cohesive and intimate collection. "For example, in our dining room, I wanted to contrast the tiny but impactful brushstrokes in Michelle Rawlings' paintings with the vast, abstract shapes of color in Rebecca Ward's canvas," acquired at Dallas Art Fair from Ronchini Gallery. Prep for the fair has been very beneficial. She first looks to Shipley to filter the galleries' previews and send snapshots of the artworks she chinks might be interesting for their collection. "She shares context about the artworks with me - videos, artists' biographies, details on upcoming museum exhibitions." She also enjoys walking the fair alone to see what stands out to her personally. She follows this with a guided tour with Temple to target specific artworks.

Family focused, Gonzalez Jorba chaired The Great Create in the Nasher Garden in 2022 and the Family Forum at the Dallas Museum of Art, where she is currently on the board. "I will co-host the DMA Family Forum's after-hours cocktail party in the Hamon Atrium followed by a curator-led tour of ”The Impressionist Revolution from Monet to Matisse." She also serves on the board of Dallas Contemporary and appreciated the dinner at The Joule, where she had a chance to meet exhibitors and artists. She loves all the programming surrounding Dallas Art Fair and says she "looks forward to the fair's VIP Preview, which allows me an unhurried look at the artworks in the booths."