Dorit Paul is our longest-serving Newfields Docent (60 plus years) and a key voice in the Indianapolis cultural community. Though her story extends far beyond this city.

She’s currently loaning Red Painting (Franz Kline Painting) from her collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) for the exhibition The Magical City: George Morrison’s New York. Native American artist Morrison (Wah-wah-ta-ga-nah-gah-boo and Gwe-ki-ge-nah-gah-boo, Grand Portage Chippewa, 1919–2000) overcame incredible challenges like poverty, a life-threatening childhood illness, as well as racial and cultural barriers to become a leader of the Abstract Expressionist movement.

Dorit and her daughter Alison at The Met in front of Red Painting (Franz Kline Painting), ca. 1960, oil on canvas, 47" x 79". Loan courtesy of Dorit and Gerald Paul. © George Morrison.

Dorit is also no stranger to overcoming barriers, with her family leaving Germany in 1938 in response to Hitler's anti-Semitic campaign. Throughout building an accomplished life in New York City, and now Indianapolis, she has grown quite the collection of art, textiles, and most importantly friends throughout the wider Newfields community.

In addition to her duties as Docent, Dorit has served Newfields in many capacities, whether in a leadership role as former member of our Board of Trustees or through her extreme generosity. The Gerald and Dorit Paul Galleries at Newfields (currently home to our Resplendent Dreams exhibition) are named for Dorit and her late husband, Gerald.

Dorit and Gerald Paul enjoying the first exhibition held in the gallery named for them: A Joy Forever: Marie Webster Quilts in the Gerald and Dorit Paul Galleries, March 4, 2016–January 8, 2017.

Meet Dorit, who is first and foremost, a Docent:

Why did you start volunteering here all those years ago?

While the museum was down on 16th Street in its former location, the current Newfields property was given to the museum by J.K. Lilly’s family and that included Lilly House. Tours began of the house just as it was the way the Lillys left it, a mansion with an 18th century interior.

When the children went to movies on Saturday afternoons, this was a chance for me to become a Lilly Docent. Those early days at Lilly House sparked my interest in 18th century art and I advocated for the Lilly Docents to eventually become Indianapolis Museum of Art Docents.

When did you first start collecting art?

Art has always been part of my life—my parents did not have a blank wall. And I kept a few things. My father mainly collected 19th century German art, though I wouldn't say he had any masterpieces at all.

My husband was interested in art and some of our friends belonged to the Contemporary Art Society which in those days was $100. In the 1960s, that was real money. I couldn’t wait until we could afford to join.

How do you approach art collecting?

Somebody used to ask me which was my favorite painting and I always would say “the most recent one that I bought.” If you live with it you become sort of impervious to it, it’s just part of my living room.

Unlike most collectors we generally bought from the primary market, i.e. from galleries at first sale. We never bought from an auction, which most serious collectors actually do. We had a friend very much into the New York School and he gave us some direction.

So the basic strength of our collections is the '70s, '80s, and '90s and the last work we bought from the secondary market was from the Chicago Imagists. There is a small exhibition from that group at Newfields now.

Well, we have to ask: What’s your favorite Newfields painting?

My favorite painting is The Valkhof at Nijmegen by Aelbert Cuyp. I don’t know why it is. It’s an artist I can recognize when I go to a museum and it’s currently on display at Newfields.

Aelbert Cuyp (Dutch, 1620–1691), The Valkhof at Nijmegen, about 1652-1654, oil on panel, 19-1/4 x 29 in. (panel); 28 x 37-1/2 x 3-1/2 in. (framed, Optium). Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Art Association of Indianapolis in memory of Daniel W. and Elizabeth C. Marmon. The frame was made possible by the David L. Chambers, Jr. Fund for Dutch and Flemish Art, in 2018., 43.107.

It’s always nice to recognize an artist. For instance Roger Brown? If you’ve ever seen one Roger Brown you’ll always recognize Roger Brown. There’s another one up now with a dressed man, undressed woman, and a snake in the Message is the Medium: Contemporary Art.

If I had to choose a favorite from the works we’ve donated, there are two that stand out to me. And they were once exhibited side by side at Newfields: Jean Dubuffet's Courre Merlan (Whiting Chase) and Antoni Tàpies’ Diptic and collage.

You’ve also donated textiles to our collection. Any memories there?

The dress I should not have given away was by Issey Miyake (Fall/Winter 1993). It was so packable and you could wash it in the sink—you just scrunch it up! The designer Miyake’s signature is pleats. One day my husband and I met Miyake in Japan, he was handsome—oh he was gorgeous! It was a lovely dinner.

Issey Miyake (Japanese, 1938–2022), dress, Fall / Winter 1993, polyester, pleated, heat and pressure set, various dimensions. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Dorit Paul, 2011.216A-C. © Issey Miyake.

I put the dress on one day and I said “I look awful in it.” And then it went to the Museum. It’s really pretty, but I never knew what to do with the scarf. Niloo Paydar, (Newfields’ former Curator of Textile and Fashion Arts) was very interested in Japanese designers.

Fashion Redefined: Miyake, Kawakubo, Yamamoto in the Gerald and Dorit Paul Galleries, April 28, 2019–January 5, 2020. Artworks © their respective creators.

What keeps you coming back to Newfields?

I’ve always felt I’ve gotten more than I’ve given. My whole art education has been from the Museum. We also used to have many evening lectures, almost the equivalent of a college course at night. My husband went with me.

And as a Docent, it was always gratifying to have people on your tour who really appreciated what you were doing. My most exciting moment was a tour for 4th and 5th graders about a piece that you could interpret of Zeus with a thunderbolt that had slain this person who was laying chained. And I was there in the gallery on a Saturday and a little kid comes and gives my tour to his parents. That was my most exciting Docent moment.

When you give a good tour it’s like a high.

Join a Docent-led tour or learn more about our Docent program.