A Love for Art, for One and All
We never know when art might make an impression on us, but when it does, we never forget it. When Jessica Beachum, B.A. ’11, and her husband, Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, first saw an art piece featuring endangered tigers in 2013, they had no idea that it would lead to developing an entire art collection.
The couple first saw Craig Tracy’s tiger piece on a cruise. After purchasing this piece, they began a journey of researching, collecting and curating.
“I’ve been excited about art my whole life — I’ve always had some type of exposure to it. I’m originally from Dallas and anytime my grandmother had a chance, she’d take us to local art exhibits,” Jessica said. “My husband hadn’t had exposure to art before, so it was neat to see the piece ignite something in him. When we realized we were both passionate about it, we said let’s do it!”
In 2017, the couple moved to New Jersey and were only 45 minutes away from New York City. Due to their proximity, they spent as much time as they could exploring more and more art. When the pandemic hit, the couple continued to purchase more pieces and built their collection.
When buying art, they are dedicated to loving each piece they add to their collection.
“I love the history behind a piece — I’m definitely a huge history buff,” Jessica said. “The history matters, but at the same time there has to be an aspect in each piece that makes me fall in love with it.”
Part of the Jessica and Kelvin Beachum Family Collection, Narrative as Reality: Constructing an Identity, opens May 6 at Baylor’s Martin Museum of Art. The exhibit features human experiences discovery and expression of oneself.
Curated by Valerie Bennett Gillespie, Ph.D., the exhibit is one of a kind and features art from Alexis Peskine, Nelson Makamo, Mario Moore, Athi-Patra Ruga and more.
“I want people — young and old — to be able to see something they may not have otherwise had the chance to see,” Jessica said. “And it could ignite a love for art in them. You never know, we may be speaking into the next generation of artists.”