Synopsis
The extraordinary story of Herbert Vogel, a postal clerk, and Dorothy Vogel, a librarian, who managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history with very modest means. In the early 1960s, when very little attention was paid to Minimalist and Conceptual Art, Herb and Dorothy Vogel quietly began purchasing the works of unknown artists. Devoting all of Herb’s salary to purchase art they liked, and living on Dorothy’s paycheck alone, they continued collecting artworks guided by two rules: the piece had to be affordable, and it had to be small enough to fit in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment. Within these limitations, they proved themselves curatorial visionaries; most of those they supported and befriended went on to become world-renowned artists including Sol LeWitt, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Richard Tuttle, Chuck Close, Robert and Sylvia Mangold, Lynda Benglis, Pat Steir, Robert Barry, Lucio Pozzi, and Lawrence Weiner. After thirty years of meticulous collecting and buying, the Vogels managed to accumulate over 2,000 pieces, filling every corner of their tiny one bedroom apartment. In 1992, the Vogels decided to move their entire collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The vast majority of their collection was given as a gift to the institution. Many of the works they acquired appreciated so significantly over the years that their collection today is worth millions of dollars. Still, the Vogels never sold a single piece.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $9,242 (4.7% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 11.78 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 2 opening theaters/8 max. theaters, 7.5 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $279,870 |
Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists
| Record | Rank | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 11,501-11,600) | 11,572 | $194,721 |
| All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 21,401-21,500) | 21,440 | $194,721 |
| All Time Domestic Highest Grossing Limited Release Movies (Rank 3,601-3,700) | 3,697 | $194,721 |
See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | June 5th, 2009 (Limited) by Arthouse Films |
| Video Release: | December 15th, 2009 by New Video Group |
| MPAA Rating: | Not Rated |
| Running Time: | 87 minutes |
| Franchise: | Herb and Dorothy |
| Comparisons: | Create your own comparison chart… |
| Keywords: | Collectors and Collectables, Museum |
| Source: | Based on Real Life Events |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Factual |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |