“I started collecting art when I met Linda,” explained Dr. Alan Rich, whose wife, Linda, then disputed that proclamation, asserting that his collection began much earlier.
Dr. Alan and Linda Rich have been admiring and collecting art since they were young. Alan, who more commonly goes by Rico, began his passion for collecting by acquiring maps and sorting through his father’s National Geographic collection. Meanwhile, Linda’s love for collecting began with stamps and coins. She also regularly visited the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, which further developed her love for art.
Once the two met, their shared appreciation for art and collecting grew and was facilitated by their time as medical volunteers in various African countries. Rico worked as an ophthalmologist, while Linda assisted with her training as an occupational therapist. The two aided underserved communities in need of eye care, offering varying and necessary surgeries to the local people.
These medical volunteer trips brought the couple in contact with a world of art very different —both visually and conceptually — from the one we are familiar with in the West.
“The art shows an appreciation for the interconnection of life,” said Rico, pointing out the importance that many of these cultures put on unity among all creatures.
On their trips, the Riches were fortunate enough to begin collecting this type of work from local artists. All of the pieces in their collection are one-of-a-kind and either came from local markets or were gifts from patients. Each piece is displayed proudly in the Riches’ home, giving any visitor the sense that they have walked into a very personal museum. The natural next step — it would seem — would be for this work to be displayed in an actual museum.
Rico and Linda have been involved with the Polk Museum of Art for nearly 30 years. Through their involvement, the couple met Dr. Alex Rich (no relation), the executive director and chief curator at the Museum. When he admired the Riches’ collection firsthand during a social visit with the couple at their home, he broached what he thought was the far-fetched idea of exhibiting their collection at the Polk Museum. To Dr. Rich’s surprise, Linda and Rico were receptive to the idea, despite their modesty about their collection. This was two years ago, and hard work has gone into organizing and curating a show based on their three-decade-built collection since.
The resulting exhibition, Spirits: Ritual and Ceremonial African and Oceanic Art from the Dr. Alan and Linda Rich Collection opens this month at the Polk Museum.
The Riches’ collection is large, so deciding which pieces should be included in the show was no small task.
“I’m not sure exactly how many pieces we have in total,” said Linda.
In the end, 110 pieces were chosen to be displayed at the Museum, each coming from one of eight countries, including Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Mozambique.
A show like this hasn’t been done at the Polk Museum of Art before. This is why Dr. Alan and Linda Rich and Dr. Alex Rich believe it’s so important to do.
“African art has influenced so much Western art and all that has followed,” Linda said, citing many well-known artists from the early 20th century, including Picasso, Braque, and Brancusi.
The Riches hope that having their collection on display will encourage others to learn more about non-Western art and the influence it has had on Western culture. They believe that by gaining a better understanding of these cultures, individuals can appreciate and enjoy them more.
Spirits: Ritual and Ceremonial African and Oceanic Art from the Dr. Alan and Linda Rich Collection will be on display at the Polk Museum of Art from October 26 through January 26.
800 E Palmetto St, Lakeland, FL 33801
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Museum is closed on Mondays
