The new exhibit, Modern Masters: A Tribute to Anne Windfohr Marion, currently being shown at The Modern museum in the heart of Fort Worth’s cultural district, wouldn’t have been possible without Ann Windfohr Marion herself. Simply put, Ms. Marion is the primary reason that the building that houses The Modern’s world-class collection exists at all. This incredible benefactor of the arts didn’t just help fund one of the architectural crown jewels of the Texas art world, she was also a key player in the establishment of the Georgia O’ Keefe Museum in Santa Fe, NM. But apart from being a modern-day American Medici, just who is she?
Anne Windfohr marion, cowgirl museum honeree
Anne’s background is as impressive as it is fascinating. She grew up a member of a wealthy Texas ranching family (she is the great-granddaughter of Samuel Burk Burnett), and this association provided her unparalleled access to the very best education. In addition to her domestic studies, she developed a passion for the arts that eventually guided her to study art history in Switzerland for a time. Like many people with the means to do so, she also spent time on the East Coast, soaking up and participating in the prominent social circles and art society there, but she never strayed too far from her Texas roots. This juxtaposition of high society and ranch living have been a hallmark of her life and her personality.
In 1980, she inherited her family’s famous 6666 Ranch and co-managed the enormous estate with her husband until her death in 2020. The 6666, which was already famous for its size and grandeur, as well as its purebred bulls and quarter horses, is perhaps even better known as “Yellowstone” (the hugely popular TV show of the same name is filmed there). Those who knew her best would say that Anne is ‘wonderfully eclectic with a dash of old-world elegance.’
To open the new exhibit, the Modern’s former curator, Michael Auping, gave a lovely lecture, and led the preview tour of the exhibition for the press and select donors. Auping was very close with Anne and shared a lot of his personal, special memories of her. One of my favorite descriptions was, “There are always two sides of Anne; Annie Oakley and Cosmopolitan Anne, and you never knew which side you were going to get.” I was amazed to learn that in addition to Ms. Marion being the primary donor and principal reason the current building was built, there are also several pieces at the Modern that Michael personally encouraged her to invest in for the museum’s collection.
Andrea Karnes, Chief Curator & Michael Auping, retired Chief Curator
Anne bequeathed a substantial amount of her personal art collection to the Modern when she passed away in 2020. One is the Mark Rothko, White Band No. 27, 1954.jpg. This piece was originally in her home and Michael Auping told the audience, “I told her, ‘Anne, none of my business, but if you ever leave anything to the museum, leave that.’ And she did!” Rothko is one of the most renowned abstract expressionist painters in the world, and this piece is frequently cited as one of the top three Rothco’s ever painted. Andrea Karnes, the current Chief Curator said, “We are so lucky to have it in our collection. It’s a game changer by itself”.
Photo: Mouty Shackelford Mark Rothko, "White Band No. 27", 1954
Another piece that everyone seems to know is the tall, rust-toned sculpture titled “Vortex” that sits just to the west of the building. The artist and creator, Richard Serra, is known for his large-scale sculptures and obtaining it wouldn’t have happened without Anne’s financial help. A little fun fact: this piece has been dedicated to the museum in Michael Auping’s name. What an honor!
Before the building was finished, and seeing how grand it was, Michael suggested that they consider collecting some significant European pieces. Anne gave them $10 million to make this happen and they procured some incredible pieces like Frances Bacon, Self-Portrait 1956. It’s always been my favorite piece at the museum, and I pay it a visit every time I go, so I was excited to learn more about its provenance. This artwork was the artist’s 1st known self-portrait and the museum paid around $5 million for it originally. Today, it would sell between $80 – $95 million! All this time, I had no prior knowledge about its significance or potential price tag, I just love it because it spoke to me. That made me think, ‘Well, I guess I do have good taste in art!” 😉
Richard Serra, "Vortex"
Frances Bacon, "Self Portrait" 1956
Years after the building was complete, Michael recalled a time when he pointed out to Ms. Marion that the museum did not have a collection of photography, and so he asked her if she would be willing to make a $250,000.00 donation that they could use to build this collection. She responded by giving $500,000. Much later, while they were walking through the museum, Anne looked at Michael and said, “You know Michael, we couldn’t do this today.” Auping then told the gathered audience, “She was right. We couldn’t do this again. It would take a billion dollars. That is where the art market is today.”
Not only did Anne understand and appreciate the societal value of the art, she was helping the Modern collect for future generations. It is also clear that Anne trusted Auping and his team implicitly believed this museum could become one of the country’s greatest, which it most certainly has.
There are rarely patrons in this world that give and have a passion for art like Ann Windfohr Marion. She has made such an incredible philanthropy to Fort Worth that is still going strong. We should all be grateful that she donated so many incredible works to the museum and established what is now such a fabulous place for residents of Fort Worth and residents all around the world to gather and celebrate art.
Willem de Kooning, "Two Women" 1954-55
Article by: Mouty Shackelford - mouty@artsyscoop.com
