Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman, prominent American philanthropists and art collectors, have opened their private Hamptons home to the public for the first time through a new Phaidon book, *Collecting Contemporaries: The Fuhrman Collection*. The volume reveals their extensive collection of works by artists such as Simone Leigh, Roy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons, and Amoako Boafo, displayed across their Sagaponack property, which also features outdoor sculptures by Roxy Paine and Elmgreen & Dragset. Glenn Fuhrman, founder of the FLAG Art Foundation and a board member at MoMA and Tate, discusses the discomfort of losing privacy but acknowledges the practical need to eventually sell or donate pieces as he ages.
This matters because the Fuhrmans represent a new model of 21st-century patronage that blends personal collecting with public philanthropy, including donations to the University of Pennsylvania and community initiatives like a free Wi-Fi network in Harlem. Their decision to document their collection in a book signals a shift among major collectors toward transparency and legacy planning, potentially influencing how other wealthy families approach art stewardship. The article also highlights the challenges of private collecting, such as zoning restrictions on outdoor sculpture, and the emotional journey of maturing taste over decades.