Unabashedly Amy

It wasn’t until marrying her husband John and the two began perusing Chelsea art galleries together that Phelan’s innate affinity for collecting was unleashed. This is an art collection built on basic instinct, no not the Sharon Stone kind, but the kind Phelan’s internal radar has, pulling her towards works and befriending her with emerging and established artists. There are not any art advisors involved in the selecting or hanging of more than a thousand works-it is something Amy and her husband passionately pursue together. Phelan characterizes the collection as funny, sexy, sometimes a little dark but always with a sense of humor, which ironically would also be a fitting description of Amy herself.

A Richard Prince joke painting that reads “My Doctor Told Me to Watch My Drinking. Now I Drink in Front of a Mirror” hangs in the hallway outside the Palm Beach dining room. “As cliché as it sounds – you can’t not laugh, and it’s where everyone wants their picture taken.” The collection, which they rotate between their Aspen and Palm Beach homes, includes works of Jean-MichelBasquiat, Jenny Holzer, Marilyn Minter, Lisa Yuskavage, Andreas Gursky, Lawrence Weiner, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Jim Hodges, Thomas Ruff, Tara Donovan, and countless others.


Phelan and her husband have a rule that they don’t buy art for storage, and it must eventually “make the wall”. Even if they are unsure where it will fit into their homes, they trust that the perfect spot will reveal itself in due time. The emotional connection we have with an artwork ultimately outweighs the uncertainty of its placement. This is one of the reasons we re-install as often as possible to highlight as many works and artists at a time as feasible.

The first installation in Palm Beach is what Phelan calls a more “serious” hang, showcasing works that are important both historically and personally.  “We wanted to speak to the architecture of the home that took seven and a half years to build and honor it but not distract from it.” In the white living room accented with pinks and gold and flooded with golden light, BE AMAZING! By artist Sylvie Fleury stretches high across a wall ending over two Andy Warhols. Be Amazing’ incorporates elements of light and other materials to create a bold and attention-grabbing statement. Drawn in by the flashy lights but also prompted to reflect on the message, this artwork evoked simultaneous feelings of awe and skepticism.  “I appreciate Fleury's commentary on contemporary culture and the pressure to constantly strive for perfection and success,” explains Phelan turning serious. “I was drawn in by the flashy lights but was also prompted to reflect on the superficiality of the message. It is one of the few works I knew exactly where to hang in Palm Beach — and not sure I will ever move it!”

When it comes to fashion, Phelan abides by the Fleury maxim. With an enviable cool girl wardrobe and a bold feminine style of her own, Phelan would never succumb to the recent “quiet luxury” trend. Her statement pieces echo some of the art in her collection.

“I believe that art and fashion are both powerful forms of self-expression,” says Phelan showing me a photo. “The incredible CD Greene made a beautiful dress for me that is covered in what looks like sharp mirror fragments.  It is bold and exudes confidence and individuality.” The dress is compatible to the Walead Beshty Cracked Mirror Floor installed in their Aspen home. “I was intrigued by Beshty's exploration of imperfection and the inherent fragility of material objects. I love how the work changes over time, I love how it shocks and surprises our friends and guests, and I love how it is a signature part of our home.”

 The couple frequently entertain in both homes with annual Art Crush events in Aspen for the Aspen Art Museum and recently chairing one of the first-ever amfAR in their Palm Beach events in their home. Always entwined with giving back to the community that brings them so much personal joy, the Phelan’s sit on boards at the Aspen Art Museum, where Amy is a national council member, the Tate North American Acquisitions Committee, the MoMa Contemporary Art Council, and the National Council of the Whitney Museum of American Art to name a few. So, what would a day without art be like for you?  “Unacceptable!” Phelan proclaims. “ I cannot stand an empty wall or a day where I do not get to pause before a work and think about what the artist behind it is trying to say or what their work is making me feel.  I am blessed to be surrounded by so many of my favorite creatives and cannot imagine anything worse than blank walls.  It’s one of the reasons we try and open our homes to as many people as possible – the more people see art and interact with it, the more it meets its purpose.”