Legacy, and how to build upon it, is a thread woven through Emily Tisch Sussman’s career and in the art she has amassed in her Hamptons home. Born into a family known for co-owning the New York Giants and collecting art, she received a formative education in both worlds. Her collection, like her nonlinear career, sits between inheritance and independence, pairing family heirlooms with contemporary acquisitions of her own.
Her professional pursuits and approach to acquiring art have been shaped by a desire to amplify voices historically denied a platform. After the births of her three children, Tisch Sussman left a career in politics and launched She Pivots, a media company and podcast centered on women’s transformative career journeys. The same impulse extends to women’s sports: Through her co-ownership of NWSL team Gotham FC and sponsorship of Dystany Spurlock, the first Black woman to compete in NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series, she’s illuminating a broader cultural shift in women’s athletics.
At Gotham FC, that effort has ranged from a partnership with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to offer $15 tickets to the Queens Classic, to hosting high-profile New Yorkers at the games. Spike Lee, Sue Bird, Ashley Graham, and Eli Manning have all appeared in the stands, while Gotham FC players have become increasingly visible at local events, positioning the team as integral to the city’s landscape.
Below, Tisch Sussman reflects on her art collection and how her commitment to amplifying female voices and emerging talent shapes what she acquires.
Where did the story of your art collection begin?
A lot of the collection began with some incredible works I inherited from my grandparents. Art means so much to me, and I have really specific memories of being with my grandparents. Bringing those works into my own home, hanging and framing them differently, and making it part of my family’s story is important to me. My grandmother loved William Wegman, and we have a piece called Little Red Riding Hood, which is already bringing so much joy to my kids.
What’s your most recent acquisition?
I commissioned the artist Guy Stanley Philoche to create portraits of my children based on images that captured their happiness and personalities. His work is all about highlighting the joy of childhood, and the portraits hang together as a series.
Are there any works that hold special meaning to you?
I worked with photographer Leigh Webber to do underwater photographs of my kids. Instead of traditional family photos, we did underwater photo shoots where we had props and looked like mermaids. We’ve printed them really big, and they have been really special pieces in our home.
What piece in your home sparks the most conversation from visitors?
A Kenneth Noland from my father’s collection. It used to hang in his office, and we designed our living room around it. I love the scale, the intensity of the color, and the straightness of the lines.
What do you look for when acquiring art?
I want it to be something that brings us joy and evokes conversation. I think a lot about the platforms I can provide, whether it’s through the podcast, sports, or art. No matter the medium, I like to make sure that I’m providing a platform for women and people who don’t have as much access.
I like to be in discovery. At this point, I’m looking for smaller, on-the-verge artists. I was lucky to inherit a lot of work by prominent artists, and that’s not something that I’m looking to build my collection with now.
Advocacy for women runs through your work. How has that shaped your collection?
I am attracted to women’s stories, so art that speaks to women’s experiences shapes how I collect. I’m also thinking about how to support the artists I interview, and collecting their work feels like a meaningful extension of that.
I’m a sponsor of Dystany Spurlock, and we did a cultural integration at her race. Her helmet will one day be a piece of art that I will collect and have in my house with the photographs we took together at the race.
Is there anything you are coveting?
I had photographer Rachelle Steele on the podcast. She was serving in the Navy during Hurricane Katrina and photographed it. The experience was so traumatic that she stopped taking photographs for many years. Eventually, she returned to photography as a way to heal, and the work she’s creating now is beautiful. I’d love to start collecting her photographs.
Do you have advice for people who want to start collecting?
Really, anything is accessible at some level. You can support artists by speaking their name into a room, giving them credit for introducing you to something, or even bartering for art. Things are accessible if we think creatively about it.
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