FROM SANTE FE TO WILMINGTON: A Journey of Art, Passion, and Personal Collections.

Trish and Ric Rioux's journey into the world of art collecting began almost three decades ago during a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they stumbled upon their first original pieces of art. What started as a serendipitous encounter on Canyon Road led to a deep and evolving passion for collecting art, a passion that has shaped their home and lives over the years.

By Sara Beck

Trish and Ric Rioux, who have lived in Wilmington for two years, bought their first pieces of original artwork around thirty years ago on a trip to Santa Fe. The couple hadn’t planned on purchasing art here, but this would change during a walk down Canyon Road, a charming street that’s home to over a hundred galleries. One of the openings they wandered into featured work they immediately fell in love with—the paintings of Mary Dolph Wood, who found the inspiration for her art in her home of Taos, New Mexico. They bought two of her pieces and excitedly hung them in their home, which was in Denver, Colorado at the time. However, this presented an unexpected issue. Up until this point, they had no original art on their walls, only mass-produced reproductions. They recognized the special quality original art holds that a reproduction, doesn't come close to. The only plausible solution, was to start from scratch, introducing only original pieces to their home. This is the story of how their now extensive collection of art began. 

Although their journey began with two pieces from the same artist, the Rioux's collection does not favor any one artist or style over another. They describe it as eclectic, not intentionally, but because their taste has evolved over time. As a result of this evolution, their walls are filled with figurative work, southwest art, florals, and landscapes, all intermixed. They’ve even added a pop art portrait of Taylor Swift by Mr. Depalakua, a purchase made to complement two Vincent Xeus portraits of Marilyn Monroe they already owned. “Marilyn was an icon of her time, and Taylor, in a different way, is an icon of our time. So we thought it would be cool to have both icons of different eras,” Trish comments. The closest thing to a common thread throughout their collection is what they call “a little bit of Asian flair,” a preference that may have come from Trish’s mother, who was an army nurse in Japan.

Over the past six years, they’ve begun acquiring abstract art, which they feel enhances the more traditional work they own. Their joint decision-making process is simple: they choose pieces they’re both drawn to. “We both have to love and appreciate a piece to buy it,” Ric says.

The process of acquiring art is something the Riouxs thoroughly enjoy. Meeting artists and getting a sense of who they are is important to them, and these personal connections are the reason all of the pieces in their vast collection hold the same value in their eyes. Because they maintain strong relationships with many of the artists and gallery owners they encounter, they’re often given discounts and access to private sales, and they’ve even been the subjects of paintings. “Sometimes you pay the high price, and sometimes you get lucky. But being involved in the art world makes you the connections that give you those options,” Ric explains. “It’s that fun of give and take,” Trish adds. Despite the deals they often come across, they emphasize that for them, it’s all about falling in love with a piece rather than a price tag. To them, art is not an investment, so making a profit is never a consideration. Similarly, they never consider whether an artist is famous or well-known when deciding to make a purchase—again, if they love the piece, they buy the piece. 

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