Deborah Beckmann and Jacob Kotzubei collect the unforgettable. Early on in their art patronage journey, when the Los Angeles and Aspen-based couple couldn’t agree on an acquisition, they made compromises they still regret to this day. Their determination to surround themselves with pieces “of emotional necessity” ever since has made the couple a singular force in the collecting landscape.
In addition to lending actively to institutions, Beckmann is a board member of Art21 and the Aspen Art Museum, where she and Kotzubei have endowed an artist production residency fund. (Their patronage is not limited to the arts; they also support educational institutions such as Washington University in St. Louis, Wesleyan University, and Columbia Law School, where they met.)
At home in LA and Aspen, Beckmann and Kotzubei live among works by a who’s who of post-war and contemporary art: Nairy Baghramian, Firelei Báez, Charles Gaines, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, and Lisa Yuskavage among them. For CULTURED, Beckmann opened the doors of both of their abodes and sat down to discuss the unexpected places her collecting trajectory has taken her.
How has your approach to collecting evolved over the years?
My husband and I have been acquiring art since we first got married, but I would say I became a truly serious, perhaps obsessive, collector about 10 to 12 years ago. The turning point came when I was building our home in Aspen and commissioned works from a few Los Angeles-based artists to be integrated directly into the house.
There was something transformative about the intimacy of working closely with artists, witnessing their creative processes firsthand, and ultimately experiencing the joy of living with those works once the home was completed. It deepened my appreciation for how art shapes the world surrounding us, for how much it impacts me personally, and for how varied and vital artistic expression is to the artists themselves. The more we live with art, the more we want to experience art.
Are there particular qualities or instincts you look for when deciding whether to acquire a work or support an artist more deeply?
Emotional response, above all else. Every work in our collection is meaningful to us, and we have a real relationship with each one. In Aspen, we recently installed a diaphanous Olga de Amaral “Bruma,” a series that we chased for some time, along with a John Chamberlain steel sculpture after years of searching for the right work. Each of these acquisitions followed its own path, but they all share a quality of emotional necessity.
What initially inspired your involvement with the Aspen Art Museum, and what has made the experience meaningful to you?
Having spent so much time in Aspen over the past two decades, the museum has been a home away from home for me, my friends, and my family. What drew me deeper into involvement was the quality and courage of the institution’s leadership. Nicola Lees’s vision is both sage and boundless, and the curatorial team, led by Daniel Merritt, brings a perceptiveness and daring to the exhibitions and overall program.
Your recent gift to the Aspen Art Museum is a transformative one. Can you share what motivated your support for commissioning new work by artists and helping sustain their residency and research needs while in Aspen?
We are most passionate about support that is artist-centric—helping artists have opportunities to create work that otherwise might not be possible and enabling experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. The ability to do this in Aspen makes it exponentially more meaningful.
Why do you believe it is important for artists to have dedicated time and resources for research, experimentation, and reflection, particularly in a place like Aspen?
Because that kind of unstructured, unhurried time is increasingly rare, and it is when new and interesting ideas and work are likely to originate. The pressure on artists to produce, to be market-relevant, to move quickly, is relentless. In a place like Aspen, where the landscape itself is so unlike where most artists live and work, they may encounter something that shifts their perception, or just gives them time and space to contemplate.
How do you hope your support will shape the experience of artists who come to Aspen by way of the museum?
I hope Aspen itself works on them in unexpected ways: that the mountains, the quality of light, and the community here open something new in their practice and makes them feel welcome and cared for. I also hope that the work supported here, born out of that freedom and this place, goes on to matter in ways none of us can yet anticipate.
What is your favorite local dish in Aspen?
It depends entirely on the day and the hour! For lunch, nothing beats a Swift Kick bowl from Big Wrap or an Ajax Burger from Ajax Tavern. For dinner, you can find me regularly at Angelo’s, Campo di Fiori, Bosq, or Steakhouse No. 316.
Where is your favorite spot to source local goods?
As an avid backcountry skier and devoted hut trip participant, I am a big fan of two homegrown Aspen brands: Aztech Mountain and Strafe. Both make great-looking outerwear that performs well in the highest-level conditions in the backcountry. Performance Ski carries both brands, as well as tons of other desirable gear!
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