When Collecting is an Art

Calendar, Featured Events

Enough Already exhibition (photo: Jenna Bascom)

MoCA\CT’s galleries came alive as the opening of Enough Already transformed Sara Vance Waddell’s vision into a powerful, collective statement. The evening began with an animated conversation during the Museum’s popular series titled On the Art of Collecting with Waddell and collector Tamara White moderated by MoCA\CT’s Pamela Hovland and Kathryn Turley-Sonne. The conversation created a palpable energy before the reception, where more than 80 works from Waddell’s collection filled the galleries.

MoCA\CT’s Kathryn Turley-Sonne, artist V.L. Cox, collectors Sara Vance Waddell, Michelle Vance Waddell, and Tamara White (photo: Mariana Roman)

For the Cincinnati-based collector, the evening echoed a pivotal moment when she first saw her collection displayed at the Dayton Art Institute. What struck her most was seeing the mix of voices.

“When I saw our work displayed, I was so excited because I had a lot of local artists from Cincinnati and Columbus represented,” she recalls. “That was something I always believed in—when the art is shown, you have to include art by local and emerging artists. Seeing local art alongside nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, and seeing how excited everyone was, it made my heart happy.”

Lobby wallpaper from Voices in My Head by Constance Old (photo: Jenna Bascom)

In that same spirit of celebrating local creativity, the MoCA\CT Visual Arts Advisory Committee commissioned limited-edition prints and wallpaper from New Canaan artist Constance Old for the exhibition’s debut.

Waddell credits a close friend who leads the Women of Colour Global Network for helping her define the mission behind her collecting.

“She told me, ‘Sara, this is your duty now, and this art does not belong to you. It belongs to the people, so you’ve got to get it out there.’” Waddell’s simple response set the course for everything that followed: “Okay, I’m going to do that.”

Enough Already exhibition (photo: Jenna Bascom)

Enough Already exhibition (photo: Jenna Bascom)

Now, as visitors moved through the opening reception, her words about purpose resonated through the work on display.

“I’m a collector of many things—rocks, baseball cards, mugs, T-shirts—but collecting art has honestly given me purpose. I’m an only child, and my mother’s story ends with me. I wanted there to be a legacy of some sort, and this art has become like my child.”

Standing among the crowd that evening, she offered a simple truth: “It’s just important that this work is seen, like it is being seen here at MoCA\CT.”

 

Enough Already exhibition (photo: Jenna Bascom)

Enough Already continues at MoCA\CT through February 15, 2026, with film screenings, artist workshops, and community conversations planned throughout the exhibition’s run. See the list below for details:

 

Skip to content