when I was younger, and thought if I got a chance to use innovative ways to make society better, I would do so. We eventually got a $13 million settlement from the state for the creation of a magnet school, so we made a lot of things happen that wouldn’t have without us.” These early triumphs represented the buds of the fully-blossomed lifetime of philanthropy to come (see sidebar, page 15).
Art Reflects Life Along the way, a lifetime of travel and adventure grew in their home, in the form of treasured artworks seen, adored, purchased and packed up for the trip back. In Fort Wayne, the series of spreading galleries act as a repository for the pieces, with seeming arms held wide to embrace them all. Art collecting “is probably more me, and I have the free time, although we still buy some together,” Mimi said. “But if I find something I love, I get it. “When we were younger, it was more collaborative—based on how much we wanted to spend,” Ian said. “As we got older, she’s gotten more independent, but if it’s really expensive, I have more to do with it.” That didn’t keep him from purchasing a large Wang piece as a gift for her after putting his foot down on the expense initially. True to their natures, they don’t hoard the treasure trove. “I really like to share this. Just give me a call,” Mimi said. For years, dinner and a tour of their house has been a popular auction package for local arts fundraisers. saint francis magazine | winter 2014
13