Bettina Barrow

Former actress turned lawyer turned film producer, Bettina Barrow lives in a modern South Austin abode with her husband and young daughter. When it comes to art buying, she tries not to be impulsive. “I hope to buy art that means something to me because of the subject matter or because of the artist,” she says. She is pictured in the living room of her Elizabeth Stanley-designed home, which she deems a more adult sitting area since it’s not exactly kid friendly. The painting above her fireplace is by NYC-based artist Robert Kelly and was acquired by Barrow last winter. She says: “I love the combination of Robert’s work with the ceramics and the color of the furniture. This space makes me happy.” Photograph by Wynn Myers

Jessie Katz

Restauranteur Jessie Katz’s most treasured piece of art is this etching by artist Jim Dine (1972), entitled “Braid.” Her grandparents owned an art gallery in San Antonio for 30 years, and the piece hung in their home for as long as Katz can remember. She inherited it, making it the most special piece of art in her home. It rests on her desk, next to painted roses she found at the City Wide Garage Sale. “I’ve been going there for 10 plus years now, and never miss it. The vendors are pretty special, and they have some amazing stories, too,” she says. The couple lives in Barton Hills in a bright and airy (and plant-filled space) along with their three chickens, a baby pig and two dogs. “I pretty much have a farm,” she says with a laugh. Art books that Jessie received from her grandmother line the room. “Inside every book are magazine or newspaper clippings on the artist that my grandmother represented. She annotated all of them. It feels like a surprise every time I find one,” she says. “It’s a nice way to stay connected to her.” When it comes to buying art, Jessie believes in following her intuition while not shying away from taking a risk. Katz will open a new restaurant and coffee shop with her husband Andy in the Windsor Park neighborhood in January. Photograph by Wynn Myers

Dan Dyer

Musican Dan Dyer lives in a cabin in the woods of Cedar Creek, a rural area east of Austin. There he has found a space to write music, tinker with his various welding projects. and throw some epic camp cooking parties. His inviting abode is full of the work of many artist friends like Butch Anthony, Jack Sanders, Evan Voyles, and Alexandra Valenti. “My basic philosophy when buying art is simple—”Do I love it?” he says. Above the mantle in his den where he usually starts each morning by journaling or reading, is a painting entitled “Milk Cow” by artist John Henry Toney. He says: “I love being able to put things on the mantel above the fireplace, and the bookshelves directly opposite are where I get to collect, compose and organize artifacts, books and other pieces that are meaningful to me.” Photograph by Dagny Piasecki

Jamie Chandlee

Jamie Chandlee worked at the Facebook Austin office before becoming a partner in Rank & Style, a fashion website devoted to top 10 lists of the best in lifestyle products. Jamie and her husband Blake have collected many beautiful pieces for both their white stucco Mediterranean style home in Tarrytown and for their modern New York apartment which features paintings by well known artists like Peter Tunney and Lance Lestcher. The Chandlees travel around the world and have also acquired pieces in places like San Miguel, Mexico. “We like to buy art that has relevance or meaning to us,” she says. She is pictured with a piece entitled “Valet” that is by local artist Philip Durst. This is her second piece by the artist who she first fell in love with after buying one that he made entirely out of La Croix cans. “Valet” is made of valet tickets. “We love the colors, and how it pops in the space,” she says.” Photograph by Dagny Piasecki

_{Read more from the Arts Issue | November 2017}