An Artful Life

For Dallas Price-Van Breda, becoming one of L.A.’s biggest contemporary art collectors came about almost by accident. A taste for the modern was first ignited when she bought a Ray Kappe wood-and-glass house in Santa Monica Canyon more than a quarter-century ago. At the time, she and former husband David Price took a vote among their five children: stay in their traditional home on San Remo in the Riviera or move to an ultra-contemporary new house. ‘They were all in favor of the change,’ Price-Van Breda recalls during a recent interview in the breathtaking structure she still calls home. The house boasts 11 different levels, with an incredible indoor/outdoor synergy achieved by huge expanses of glass. ‘David thought our traditional furniture would look just fine,’ she says with a laugh. ‘No way was I going to buy this house and put our wingback chairs in here.’ Despite her commitment to contemporary furnishings, it took several years before Price-Van Breda turned her focus to up-to-the-minute art. ‘I was still so involved with my kids,’ she explains. ‘I didn’t have time to run around and look in galleries.’ The opening of ‘Pandora’s box’ happened when she accompanied her husband, founder of American Golf Corporation, on a trip abroad to attend a Young Presidents’ Organization meeting. ‘David attended a business meeting and I went to hear a man talk about contemporary art,’ says Price-Van Breda, who was vice-president of the family corporation until it was sold three years ago.’ The speaker showed slides of work by Claes Oldenburg, including a series of prints depicting screws. I really loved them and ended up buying a print when I got home.’ This first major purchase 20 years ago launched a love affair with collecting and supporting contemporary art that hasn’t slowed down since. When wall space’sparse to begin with in a house constructed mostly of glass’ran out, a building known as gallery one sprung up on the property. ‘When all the volleyball players moved on, then I was free to access that piece of land,’ Price-Van Breda says, referring to the courts her kids had used while growing up. Gallery one, an elegant structure designed by architectural partners Steve Johnson and Jim Favaro, was quickly followed by the building of gallery two, with the racquetball court sacrificed this time for art’s sake. Both buildings blend seamlessly with the house, using the same redwood exterior siding. The Museum of Contemporary Art, where Price-Van Breda is a founder and trustee, held its annual gala dinner on April 30 in her honor. Her gift of $10 million to MOCA in 2000 remains the single largest donation in the museum’s history. ‘I didn’t restrict it,’ she said. ‘If you use it to pay the light bill, that’s okay. But if you can buy a great piece of art, that’s great too.’ The fun-loving Price-Van Breda made sure her recent party at MOCA was no staid affair. In fact, this grandmother of nine made her entrance on a silver Harley-Davidson, a surprise to all, including MOCA officials. A penchant for extreme sports propelled her to climb mountains throughout the world, including all of the ‘Seven Summits.’ Her philanthropy is far-reaching, too, including co-founding the Oaks Christian High School that opened five years ago in Westlake Village. Price-Van Breda made a point of shifting the spotlight of the MOCA gala to artists, especially those who are represented in her personal collection. ‘It was very nice to ask me to be the honoree,’ she says in a characteristically understated tone. ‘But I really wanted to honor the artists.’ The task proved daunting, with a couple hundred artists all falling into the category of having work owned by Price-Van Breda. She winnowed the list to 25 artists, all from the Los Angeles area. ‘I have Ed Ruscha’s work and I like him immensely. But I didn’t include him since he’s so well-known and so good. I preferred to include names of artists who didn’t have the exposure he does.’ Nonetheless, well-recognized names emerge from the chosen list’Chris Burden, Nancy Rubins, Billy Al Bengston, Chuck Arnoldi, John Frame, Monique Prieto, and Uta Barth, to name a few’all of whom are personal friends of Price-Van Breda. ‘I know that a great number of people in the entertainment industry are collectors of contemporary art, but it’s extremely disappointing that they’re not supporters of the arts,’ she says. ‘They are the ones who have the wherewithal to do that, and I feel it’s shameful that they don’t.’ The ebb and flow of art in her two private home galleries is overseen entirely by Price Van-Breda, who works without the assistance of a curator. ‘It’s a collection of what I like,’ she says. Her home and galleries frequently are opened to interested groups. ‘I have to tell you it’s a pain, but I feel it’s a responsibility when you have something others would like to enjoy.’ Now the Oaks Christian High School is the beneficiary of its founder’s love of art. ‘When I buy something new, I have to replace an existing piece. Rather than store it’that’s like a dead letter office’I take it out to the school,’ she says. Among the works showcased there is a 6-by-22- foot-long work by Tony Berlant, whose medium is found tin and brass. ‘The school is the most wonderful thing I have ever done,’ Price-Van Breda adds. ‘It came from the heart, and when you do things from the heart, they turn out pretty well.’ She and Bob Van Breda, a commercial real estate developer, will celebrate their second wedding anniversary this month. The couple also has homes in Indian Wells, San Francisco and Sonoma. The down-to-earth Price-Van Breda has little patience for those who are forever questioning the meaning behind contemporary art. ‘It doesn’t have to mean anything,’ she says with a dismissive swing of her arm. ‘It can just be.’