In the midst of a spirited Expo Chicago unfolding this spring, Whitewall caught up with some of the city’s most dynamic art collectors. Each visionary shares the tremendous thrill of their latest acquisitions, as well as imparts wisdom for new collectors, such as selecting pieces based on instinct that bring the most beauty into your life.
Ashley Galloway
Brand and Marketing Strategist
Portrait courtesy of Ashley Galloway.
Anthony Romagnano,
“Rothschild Slipper Orchid,” 2022,
Greylead pencil 19.6 x 13.7 inches,
Frame: 18 x 20 inches, (AR22-0028); Courtesy of the artist.
Ashley Galloway is a Brand and Marketing Strategist with an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art London. She’s worked in the fashion, art, and consumer marketing worlds in London, NYC, LA, and her hometown, Chicago.
WHITEWALL: Can you share a recent acquisition you’re excited about?
ASHLEY GALLOWAY: I found Slipper Orchid Rothschild by Anthony Romagnano at Dutton Gallery’s booth at the Outsider Art Fair in NYC. I connected with the Australian artist’s work immediately and followed my instinct. I’m drawn to the fresh and authentic feel of Anthony’s self-taught style. I love how he applies an optimistic color palette and playful shapes to create a mix of depth and flatness in this still life.
WW: What is your advice for aspiring collectors, just getting started?
AG: Go and see! The more you look at, experience, and learn about art, your natural preferences will emerge.
“The more you look at, experience, and learn about art, your natural preferences will emerge,”
Ashley Galloway
I’ve studied art throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies, and I’m very interested in the trends, culture, and evolution of artistic styles. What I choose to live with is very colorful and playful. It’s often not as academic as the exhibitions I may seek out in a museum. What I decide to collect are works that I emotionally connect with and want to have as part of my life. My advice is to find what aligns with your values and resonates with your energy and visual preferences.
Beth and Richard Heller
Marketing Executive at Beth Heller Consulting; Associate Chief Medical Officer: Health Policy and Communications and National Director of Pediatric Radiology at Radiology Partners
Portrait courtesy of Beth and Richard Heller.
Beth Heller, a veteran marketing executive and lifelong Chicagoan, brings over 25 years of expertise to Beth Heller Consulting. She crafts customized marketing strategies, builds influencer partnerships, garners media coverage, and creates opportunities for meaningful community engagement. Her clients have included the Jackson Chance Foundation, The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, Chicago River Swim, Will Ferrell, KRā Organic Sports Drink, The Cornerstone Foundation and others. Dr. Richard Heller is Associate Chief Medical Officer: Health Policy and Communications and National Director of Pediatric Radiology at Radiology Partners, a national radiology practice based in the U.S. He also serves as clinical associate at University of Chicago Medicine, Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Heller received his undergraduate degree from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, and his medical degree from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.
WHITEWALL: Can you share a recent acquisition you’re excited about?
BETH AND RICHARD HELLER: We were thrilled to welcome The Odyssey by Bethany Collins into our collection. A Chicago-based artist represented by Patron Gallery, Bethany is known for her distinctive and thought-provoking approach to language and society. This diptych features different translations of Homer’s epic, meticulously inscribed by hand and then partially erased—a signature technique that powerfully evokes memory, loss, and reinterpretation. The work serves as a commentary on how different communities can experience the same narrative through vastly different lenses. It feels especially timely.
WW: What is your advice for aspiring collectors, just getting started?
BRH: Our approach to collecting has always been rooted in relationships—with artists, gallerists, curators, auction specialists, and fellow collectors. For us, the true joy lies in living with art that inspires, educates, and challenges us. It’s through these meaningful connections that we discover the works we bring into our lives.
“For us, the true joy lies in living with art that inspires, educates, and challenges us,”
Beth and Richard Heller
Collecting has never been about having the most or the so-called “best.” It’s about finding pieces we genuinely want to live with—works that resonate with us on a personal level.
And on a practical note: keep detailed records and be thoughtful about how you insure your collection. It’s part of caring for the art you love.
Gary Metzner
Senior Vice President of Sotheby’s and Managing Director for the Midwest Region
Portrait courtesy of Gary Metzner.
Gary Metzner is a Senior Vice President of Sotheby’s and their Managing Director for the Midwest Region. He joined Sotheby’s in 1997 after working as the Director of Fine Art for Leslie Hindman Auctioneers since 1993. Previously, he was Director of Hokin Kaufman Gallery in Chicago. Metzner can be seen on Chubb’s Antique Roadshow on PBS and appeared weekly on the Home and Garden Television programs “At the Auction” and “The Appraisal Fair” and participates in Heirloom Discovery Days across the country. A graduate of Indiana University with graduate studies in Art History at the University of Chicago, Mr. Metzner is a recipient of the Plummer Scholarship in Fine Art and is the former president of Threewalls Arts Organization. Aside from Fine Arts, Gary has interest in dance in Chicago as well as theater. He and his husband Dr. Scott Johnson are avid travelers in the little free time they have!
WHITEWALL: Can you share a recent acquisition you’re excited about?
GARY METZNER: Our most recent acquisition was one we don’t even have yet. We bought a large work by Raphael Barontini when we were in Paris with a group of people in December from the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery‘s location in Paris. It was then requested for his exhibition that just opened at the Palais de Tokyo. So we are truly excited to get it after the exhibition is over.
WW: What is your advice for aspiring collectors, just getting started?
GM: As a 27-year Sotheby’s person, I often tell collectors just starting out to check out our website. There is so much on offer that it’s almost like a museum with prices. But we also have works for under $10,000 and you will learn what catches your eye. I know many of my clients are not in New York so of course I’m a huge fan of the galleries in Chicago as well. Buy what you love but get to know the dealers, the artists.
“Buy what you love but get to know the dealers, the artists,”
Gary Metzner
Chicago is a great city for artists and over the years my husband and I have made friendships with many. Hearing their stories of their practices is magical and helps to make the sea of choices more manageable. I’m also a big fan of collecting groups that are part of museums like Emerge at the MCA or the Society of Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. You will learn a lot and make lifetime friends.
Megan Rogers and Joshua D. Rogers
Art Collectors and Cultural Enthusiasts
Portrait courtesy of Megan Rogers and Joshua D. Rogers.
Elizabeth Englander, “Yogini no.33,” Courtesy of the artist.
Joshua and Megan Rogers are art collectors and cultural enthusiasts. Joshua runs Arete Wealth, a private wealth management firm, and recently published a book called Psychedelic Psalms. Megan worked in the music streaming and entertainment space. Joshua sits on the board of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Megan has been involved with the Israel Museum and RxArt. Last year, they curated an exhibit titled “Meshugganah” during Expo. They also produce films including an art doc called The Art of Making It. They live in the West Loop with their young son who enjoys trying to destroy the art.
WHITEWALL: Can you share a recent acquisition you’re excited about?
MEGAN AND JOSHUA D. ROGERS: A recent acquisition we are excited about is a sculpture by Elizabeth Englander, Yogini no.33. The piece was featured prominently in her first institutional exhibition at the Aldrich. When we saw it we just knew. When you have been collecting this long the decisions become easier as the collection is able to tell you what fits and what doesn’t.
WW: What is your advice for aspiring collectors, just getting started?
MJDR: Do you have too much money in the bank? Do you like transactional relationships? When someone says you can’t have something, does it make you want it more? If you said yes to any of these questions you might have what it takes to be an art collector! In all seriousness, collecting art is one of the most rewarding things we do, it gives us new ideas to think about and brings beauty into our lives.
“Collecting art is one of the most rewarding things we do,”
Megan Rogers and Joshua D. Rogers
