On a sunny, humid Sunday afternoon, Graves+ Mallett Art Solutions co-founders Leslie Graves and Denise Mallett spent time in the tastefully appointed Victoria Park home of corporate leader, jazz enthusiast, author, fashion maven and art collector, Dr. Juliette Okotie Eboh, Ph.D. Juliette led us on a tour of her tri-level home, sharing compelling stories of how she acquired her vast collection of sculpture, paintings, photography, batiks and other textiles- and of why collecting is key to her sense of well-being.
She says art and music were always part of the aesthetic of her Detroit home when she was growing up in the North End. Her parents collected art and loved music, ranging from classical to jazz, exposing her to these forms early in life. Her art education also began during her formative years. As a youngster, Juliette and her sister Margaret studied music and regularly visited the main branch of the Detroit Public Library and the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Then there was the international exposure which she says rounded- out her personal arts exploration and tastes. Juliette spent several years living in Nigeria, working as an urban planner for 11 cities in that nation. While living there, Juliette immersed herself in the Nigerian culture and acquired paintings by the artist Michael Omoighe and beautiful batiks from his wife Sonia. African art adorns the entire home as a variety of African masks and hand-carved wooden doors are placed throughout the home creating a stunning affect.
Her favorite artist of all? That would be the New York City based David Fludd who earned a BA in art from Morehouse College and a MFA in painting and printmaking from the Yale University School of Art. Juliette may even have the largest number of his paintings held in a private collection and looks forward to meeting the artist to explore their shared love of art, music and improvisation.
And visitors will note that the collector is an artist as well. There are breathtaking photographs taken by Okotie Eboh during her travels to Kenya, Tanzania, Greece and Spain interspersed among the many Fludds, African masks, sculptures and textiles displayed throughout the home. She is an extremely talented yet modest photographer and Graves + Mallett encourages her to share her talent with the public!
Juliette’s multi-faceted and multi-generational collection includes paintings by her maternal aunt, Juliette Anderson. A primary school teacher in Philadelphia, at mid-career Anderson studied at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. Anderson enjoyed painting and later taught art in primary school but she did not sell her work because it was created purely for self-fulfillment so her work remains in the collections of Juliette, her sister Margaret and other family members.
It was a pleasure exploring the world through Juliette’s eyes and we look forward to sharing future “travels” with you! Visit us here at Graves + Mallett Art Solutions Where Art Soothes the Soul…
