“leaving beauty: the abrahams describe the joy of giving”

7/29/2019 Leaving Beauty: The Abrahams describe the joy of giving

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64 SRQ / DECEMBER 2012

n May of 1972, Dr. Malouf Abraham, Jr. had a visit with destiny.

A bright-eyed Abraham was in New York for a medical meeting and stumbled across theBernard Danenberg Gallery. Armed with a voracious and bordering ludicrously positive disposition,

Abraham found himself in kindred company. Danenberg had a Norman Rockwell for sale and, as

Abraham had never seen the artists work in person before, he brought out the dust-covered canvas of

Rockwells First Day of School. Danenberg handed Abraham a wet Kleenex and told him to wipe down

the painting. Upon revealing the glistening oil of the bashful schoolboys face, Abraham knew it was the

most beautiful piece hed ever seen. He had to have it. The painting cost $13,000; Abraham had just built

his practice back home in Canadian, Texas, where his wife Therese was washing cloth diapers for three

boys. I didnt even have a $1,000 in the bank, and I had to borrow money and pay it off in installments,

says Abraham with a chuckle. That might be the closest we ever came to getting a divorce. It was so

crazy, but it was like an addiction then. I always say its a good thing I didnt try any kind of narcotics.

Leaving BeautyTHE ABRAHAMS DESCRIBE THE JOY OF GIVING. BY JAKE COLEMAN. PHOTO BY EVAN SIGMUND.

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FirstDay of

Schoolby Norman

Rockwell.


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ARTWORK COURTESY OF THE ABRAHAMS.66 SRQ / DECEMBER 2012

The Rockwell painting christened a life-long journeytoward beautification for the Abrahams. In an effort to

make things happen that go beyond your earthly life,

the couple concentrated efforts into three categories

they felt were lasting: historic preservation, art collec-

tion and tree planting. In 1977, they rescued The First

Baptist Church in Canadian, built in 1910, from being

demolished, marking the birth of The Mansion at The

Citadelle. Today, The Citadelle is the headquarters for

their collection, now containing hundreds of pieces. The

Dallas Morning News has praised its rooms furnishedwith art and antiques that would rival the White House.

In 1993, their efforts to save a 72-year-old elementary

school in the town were rewarded by then-Governor

George W. Bush, who appointed Malouf as an arts com-

missioner for the State of Texas. In 2007, the couple com-

menced the creation of the Abraham Art Center located

at Wayland Baptist University. Each year in March, the

Abrahams donate 200 trees to their home city, where

Therese was mayor for more than a decade, and have tal-

lied more than 3,000 trees to date. In 2001, The Abrahamsbegan wintering in Sarasota. In a desire to remain incon-

spicuous, they keep local efforts unfocused, but their

palpable love for the city shines through in their avid

voice to keep the city walkable, as they both feel all his-

torically charming cities are, and to focus, preserve and

cherish whats unique about Sarasota.

When we first started coming in 2001, there was noth-

ing, really, says Therese. Its changed for the better.

Theres so much entertainment, good stores to shop at

and restaurants. Weve been to bigger places, but no placeis better. Sarasota has it all in entertainment and the arts.

Why Art?

I think I was born a different little kida thinker, says

Malouf. I loved beauty, and to be surrounded by beauty in

all its forms. Ive always liked things with a sense of cele-

bration. The celebration that is the Abrahams art collec-

tion has been the culmination of years of adventurous

searching and dedication. J.C. Leyendecker, creator ofnumerous covers for The Saturday Evening Post, was a

preeminent American illustrator at the turn of the 20th

century, and the Abrahams stole what many consider his

quintessential piece, Couple Descending Staircase, for a

price at which they were offered substantially more four

days later. We said no, says Malouf. Thats not what were

trying to do here. Leyendeckers painting was the only

piece chosen by Texas officials to be displayed for Chinas

exhibit on American art during the Beijing Olympics.

The Abrahams also tracked down a 7-foot-10-inch JohnBroadwood piano made of rosewood. Broadwood is con-

sidered the father of English piano development. Neither

of the Abrahams is sure if theres another one like theirs

in the world: Julliard has none, The Smithsonian doesnt

have any working and one at Buckingham Palace is only

six feet and not made of rosewood.

We love putting together an amazing collection that

will go beyond our lifetime, says Therese. This Alphonse

Mucha we just boughthes my favoritewe looked in

San Francisco, we looked in Prague, we looked all aroundand couldnt find one. Theres a gallery on 72nd Street in

New York that we saw had one. We were blown away by it.

It was just perfect, but we didnt pick up the first Mucha

we found. We searched it out, and it makes it fun when

you decide to get what you like and consider the best.

Malouf adds: We put things in two categories; in life,

whether its people, situations, art or whatever, theres also

rans and pick of the show. We go for pick of the show.

We both have to like it, clarifies Therese, not just one

of us, and that has been really important.The majority of their collection is figurative art

people and animals doings thingsand they often pos-

sesses a deeper psychological question regarding

This page: CoupleDescending Staircase by J.

C. Leyendecker. Oppositepage: Girl with Seashell

by Maurice Bernson.


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humanity or locale. With their pieces in Sarasota,theyve chosen works created here which encapsulate

the essence of the community: a painting of the

Ringling Causeway Bridge, Maurice Bernson pieces of

Siesta Beach Sand, Girl with the Seashell and one of

foliage, as well as Lynn Davisons Duet for Dogs.

I like to imagine what the people are doing and why,

Therese says, but she admits she isnt crazy about con-

temporary art. A lot of people like modern art. We just

dont, but I do like to see what people are doing. Maybe

I dont like to work too hard at art or something, but Iknow what I like when I see it.

A respect of established art has certainly led the

Abrahams to carve out their slice of the aesthetes pie.

They have four handwritten letters from Norman

Rockwell, who once invited them to dinner. As long-time

Rockwell owners, they are regularly invited to functions

surrounding the Norman Rockwell Museum in

Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Out of his love for architec-

ture and generally meticulous nature, Malouf seeks to

immerse himself within the perspective of ancient peo-

ples and so studied at the Frank Lloyd Wright colony at

Taliesin West, as well as in Paris and New York.

A Philosophy

A conversation with the Abrahams is an affably social

experience. Making no bones that they are a team, Malouf

and Therese are characteristically different but united in

vision and philosophy. Therese is straightforward in her

hospitably direct responses, and the extroverted Malouf isquite reminiscent of James Stewart in Harvey. For years

I was smart, he explains. I recommend pleasant.

When asked about philanthropic outlook, Malouf

references his grandfathers frequent quoting of the

biblical adage to whom much is given, much is expect-

ed. Malouf feels the proverb applies to more than

money. He knew we were all smart little kids. We could

see. We could hear. We had 10 fingers and toes. Theres a

school on every corner, and we are in the land of oppor-

tunity. There is no excuse. The Abrahams mutually citetheir blessings and are emphatic that leaving behind

joy for the world is an extension of that.

We dont believe in stacking money, says Malouf. We

believe that once your reasonable needs are met, you

should then use the rest of your resources to make the

world a better place, to make good things happen. If there

are good things that go beyond your earthly life, that brings

you great joy. It thrills us to see things that are wonderful

that would not be there if we had not put them there. There

is this admonition: bloom where youre planted.

Malouf says Therese and he have talked about death,regrets, if there are things left undone and what will make

that last day fulfilling, and he says they feel theyve given

it their best shot and tried to be encouragers at every turn.

DECEMBER 2012 / SRQ 67

I desperately feel that for people on their death bed, their

regrets are the things they failed to do. Really, people who

least fear death are those that have fully lived. I was read-

ing somewhere, Those who have lived full lives have

learned how to include death, and death is not a stranger.

Theres birth, and theres death and that in between. Ibelieve it as strongly as I believe anything.

The Catholic interpretation of separation between body

and soul transformed the way he looked at the world; the

only questions man doesnt know regarding death are

when and how, but the passing of the body is just a given.

"Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return.

Its important for people to know that their earthly

body will return to the earth and sometimes, its the

youngest before the oldest. It happens every day. Some

people have millions and wouldnt buy a Girl Scout cookie.These people are stacking money for what, till when and

why? Its not going to keep you from getting Alzheimers

and cancer, and it certainly wont buy you good kids. He

references the estate tax, which is set to climb to a record

high of 55 percent. Stacking is the dumbest thing you can

do, because if you die with it, the government is going to

come take it, and youll never know what happened to it.

Youre going to be financing the moon flight or something.

They are missing the joy of making good things happen

and making life more wonderful for other people.

Visionary people think of the next generation and the peo-ple who come after them. If youre planting trees, you

know you wont ever sit in the shade of that tree or attach

your hammock, but those who come after will.

“leaving beauty: the abrahams describe the joy of giving”

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