As young professionals, Amy Maxwell and Robert Biard were each collectors before they met and married. Since then, they bought and re-built their house, began raising a family and continue to grow their collection.
Amy Maxwell and Robert Biard’s home in Austin, Texas.The setting for their collection was a 1983 postmodern gem sorely in need of restoration. They decided to rebuild it to its original design with adjustments for their life in the 21st century. They found the original architect, Bob Renfro, who had worked with Charles Moore and Robert Venturi, who was delighted to join the team of Amy, Robert and their architect, Joshua Hogan of Austin.
Both Amy and Robert are graduates of the University of Texas and Bob Renfro and Joshua Hogan, also UT grads, have the added connection of being from East Texas, where Amy was born and raised.
Their new home in its bucolic Austin setting is a perfect backdrop for collections of Native American fine art, pottery and rugs as well as historic art of the American West, and antique furniture.
In the principal bedroom, Pueblo Home by Alvin Gill Tapia hangs above the nightstand. On its top are, left to right, a bowl from Taos Pueblo; a bronze sculpture, Rudolph, by Michael Naranjo (Santa Clara); and a pot by Maria Martinez (1887-1980, San Ildefonso Pueblo).Robert is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, as are their sons, 4-year-old William and Thomas, who is about to turn 3. Robert is the Native pottery collector of the couple but both have collaborated on choosing pottery, rugs and artifacts from several tribes.
William and Thomas are growing up with first-rate art in their rooms, from a collection of arrowheads assembled by Amy’s father, to paintings of children by Quincy Tahoma (Diné, 1921-1956) and a graphite drawing of a deer by Karl Bodmer (1809-1893), famed for his watercolor portraits of Indigenous people of the Upper Missouri River in the 1830s.
In their son William’s bedroom are two gouache paintings by Quincy Tahoma (Diné, 1921-1956): The Little Navajo Girl, left, and Their Beloved Friend.
When the collectors attend gallery openings, Robert walks straight through, looking and making quick decisions. Amy, on the other hand, slowly contemplates what catches her eye. When he returns to find her, she explains in detail why she is attracted to particular pieces, they confer and then decide what to acquire for their collection.
In the collectors’ media room is a painting by Ed Mell (1942-2024), Red Rock Ribbon. On the top of the cabinet are, left to right: a pot by Angie Yazzie (Taos); an early Mississippian pottery vessel, ca. 1200-1500; a polychrome jar, ca. 1890, from Acoma Pueblo; and a small red seed pot by Elijah Naranjo Smith (Santa Clara Pueblo). The katsina is by Cimmaron Grover (Hopi).
Both are interested in history, but a few contemporary paintings and artifacts fit comfortably into the collection. Although they had already purchased a couple of paintings by Walt Gonske on a whim while visiting Taos, New Mexcico, Amy looked up Walt’s phone number, intrigued by his biography and art. Walt invited them out to his home and studio in rural Taos. Amy says it was a special experience she will never forget.
Amy Maxwell and Robert Biard with their children, William and Thomas, outside their Austin home.
“When I was growing up,” she explains, “I was influenced by my dad’s knowledge of American and Texas history, him watching old Westerns, as well as his collection of Native American artifacts. After Robert and I got married and it came time to furnish our house, we had so much fun as a couple browsing through auction catalogues, learning about artists, and taking trips to Santa Fe and Taos galleries and markets.”
In the powder room are a pair of watercolors by Oscar E. Berninghaus (1874-1952): George Washington Crossing the Delaware and The Inauguration of George Washington.
They purchased their first Gonske painting from Chris Ferguson at Tres Estrellas Gallery in Taos and have also purchased from Parsons Gallery of the West. In Santa Fe, they purchased Native pottery from Lyn A. Fox Fine Pueblo Pottery and Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery. Amy recalls walking in off the street to Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe. They met Nedra and worked with James Rutherford, who was then the associate director. They purchased two dozen pieces of art on that visit, providing a strong foundation for their new home’s collection. They purchased their two paintings by Quincy Tahoma (Diné, 1921-1956) at Owings Gallery.
In their son Thomas’s bathroom is the gouache Shakalos Entering Zuni by Douglas Johnson.
Will James’ Gun Fight hangs in the media room. On the right is Hill Country Wildflowers by Roberto Ugalde.
Proud UT Longhorns, Amy points out that Douglas Atwill and Mary Silverwood are also UT grads.
Amy, a distant relative of George Washington, was delighted to acquire a pair of watercolor prints from Nedra Matteucci, George Washington Crossing the Delaware and The Inauguration of George Washingtonby Oscar E. Berninghaus (1874-1952). Berninghaus was a founder of the Taos Society of Artists and painted the watercolors a century ago as float designs for the Veiled Prophet Parade in St. Louis.
In the dining room is Des Montes Crossroad by Walt Gonske.
In their son Thomas’s bedroom is Lakeside Camp by David Sanders and a collection of arrowheads given to Amy by her father.
Another interesting connection is the painting Lakeside Camp by David Sanders, which hangs above Thomas’ crib. Amy and Robert purchased it and several other pieces from an auction offering the private collection of former Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. After college and before beginning law school, Amy worked as the scheduler in Dewhurst’s office.
Amy says she connects with Will James’ Gun Fight which hangs in the media room because of its energy. “You feel like you are stepping into an old Western movie, witnessing a live shoot’em-up.”
On the left in the dining room is Ter Hautes, Pyrenees, a pastel by William Penhallow Henderson. The larger painting is Near Gallup, Tribute to John Nieto by Mary Silverwood.
In the kitchen of the collectors’ home is Eastview from the Creston/Galisteo by Douglas Atwill. On the counter is a Red on Tan Pot, 1890 from San Juan Pueblo; Double Shouldered Jar, 2000, by Lu Ann Tafoya (Santa Clara); and a small pot, ca. 1970, from San Ildefonso Pueblo.
“We like the historic quality of the pieces in our collection,” she explains. “Hand-made, utilized and passed down through the years. It is part of our county’s story. When our collection is passed down to William and Thomas one day, it is our hope that they will continue the tradition of appreciating historic pieces and honoring their Choctaw heritage.” —
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