The art of travel
July 29, 2024
How a Charlotte couple builds an art collection that’s a reminder of the places they’ve been.
essay by Jay Ahuja | photographs by Richard Israel
More than 20 years ago, when Jerald Melberg Gallery was located near the intersection of Trade and 7th streets, co-owner Mary Melberg imparted to me the joy and wisdom of buying original art, as opposed to posters, to adorn the walls of my home and office. Original art, she explained, has a way of becoming a constant source of enjoyment and admiration that posters generally don’t convey. She suggested that I start out by collecting signed or limited-edition prints of artwork. With time, I might eventually collect original works of art akin to those that hung on the walls of Melberg’s fashionable gallery.
Boy was she right about that. Not long after that initial conversation with Mary, I made my very first purchase of art: a striking, black-and-white, limited edition, signed print of blues musician B.B. King. I found it at SpringFest, the long-running music and arts festival once held in downtown Charlotte. I met the artist that afternoon, chatted with him at length, and really came to like his personality, subjects and approach — a meticulous, pen-and-ink stipple technique. I walked away without buying it, but after thorough consideration, some more music, and possibly another beverage or two, I went back and got it.
Jay and Karen Ahuja at home; a brightly-colored 3-D work by David Kracov in the shape of a guitar is an homage to the late pop artist Keith Haring
I don’t remember what I paid for it or even if I haggled, but I do recall it felt like a lot of money at the time. I still have the print — in fact it hangs in a custom frame above my desk in my home office, right beside an original work by New Orleans artist Matt Rinard. The print is among my favorite pieces, partially because it brings me back to that time and place every time I look at it.
About 25 years ago, my wife, Karen, and I bought a small house together and began slowly replacing the posters and prints we had before we met each other with original artwork. The first piece we bought together was a modest-sized, oil-on-wood painting titled “Well Grounded Drifter” by an up-and-coming local artist, Duy Huynh. We’ve bought two more of his paintings since, but this painting — while not the biggest, most expensive or the most dramatic — is my absolute favorite in the house. The fact that it’s the first we bought together may have some bearing on this sentiment.
At some point, as Karen and I began to travel more frequently, we started to purchase art domestically and internationally: a wooden bowl and a bronze frog from Hawaii; carved geckos and a signed, limited-edition print of a flowing volcano from Costa Rica; a colorful, carved wooden mask from Belize; blown glass from Colorado; a small, rustic, wooden ladder and a fired raku bowl from Sedona; a bright red glazed pot from Todos Santos, Mexico; another limited-edition print from Alaska; and several pieces from New Orleans galleries, including a Dr. Seuss piece titled, “I Like to Eat Cake in the Tub.” That one led to a total Dr. Seuss-themed makeover of our guest bathroom.
In Goa, India, we came across an artist whose hand-painted watercolors were so impressive that we bought three — two as gifts for our parents and one for ourselves. The decision on which one to keep and which two to part with was not an easy one. We also brought home a nicely-crafted wooden box that is probably not as old as we were led to believe, but nevertheless commands a prominent spot in our home because it’s as functional as it is aesthetic.
One summer, we purchased a pair of oil paintings from a gallery in Cannon Beach, Oregon, and commissioned a third. Farther south, in Port Orford, we wandered into a local gallery and ended up with a massive hawk carved out of a single piece of wood. It hangs above our living-room fireplace — and was somewhat intimidating to our dogs when we first placed it.
Most recently, on a trip to Las Vegas we came across Eden Gallery at the Wynn Hotel. A massive painting of the convertible scene from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas caught our eye from outside, but once inside we both focused on a smaller, brightly-colored work by David Kracov. The 3D multi-layered papercut piece in the shape of a guitar is an homage to the late New York City pop artist Keith Haring. We walked away upon hearing the price, but quickly returned and purchased it after discussing where it might sit in our home. The envelope with an invoice from the gallery has a quote that sums up our decision nicely: “When you find a piece of art that you love, you also find another piece of yourself.”
For us, it’s not about the value of the collection. We collect art for the enjoyment it will bring. We also like knowing that every time a piece of art is purchased, an artist can continue creating art. For us, the value of the works we purchase from far-flung destinations may be far greater for the serenity it brings each time we pause to enjoy them and recall the trips we’ve taken together. If they encourage us to travel even more, all the better. SP
