Suzanne Deal Booth
Suzanne Deal Booth | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 17, 1954 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Art director, collector, philanthropist, vintner |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Known for | Founder and Director of Friends of Heritage Preservation; art consultant |
Suzanne Deal Booth (born February 17, 1954) is an American professional known for her roles as an art director, collector, philanthropist, and vintner. She is the Founder and Director of Friends of Heritage Preservation (FOHP) and has also worked as an arts consultant.
Early life
Born in Dallas, Texas, Deal Booth is the youngest offspring of Harry William Deal, author of the World War II memoir Venus Rising, and Yvonne Rivers Deal.
Education
In 1977, Deal Booth graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in art history from Rice University, where she gained practical experience at The Menil Collection. She pursued further education at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts, earning a Master's degree in Art History along with a Certificate in Art Conservation in 1984. During her academic journey, she received guidance from Dominique de Menil.
Her training included a Kress Foundation fellowship focusing on paintings conservation at the Centre Georges Pompidou. Additionally, she completed internships at prominent institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Kimbell Art Museum, and the Museum of New Mexico.
Career
Between 1986 and 1996, Deal Booth held the position of Coordinator for the Getty Art History Information Program and Training Program at the Getty Conservation Institute.
In 1998, she established Friends of Heritage Preservation (FOHP), a nonprofit organization collaborating with individuals, museums, and foundations to safeguard endangered cultural heritage objects and historic landmarks.
Appointed by the Governor, she served on the California Cultural & Historical Endowment Board from 2004 to 2008. Since 2002, she has been a board member of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her governance roles also extend to institutions such as the Menil Collection, Blanton Museum of Art, Ballroom Marfa, and The Contemporary Austin. She advises the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Previously, she held trustee positions at Rice University, the American Academy in Rome, NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, and the Centre Pompidou Foundation.
Together with David G. Booth in 2002, she created the Booth Family Rome Prize Fellowship for Historic Preservation and Conservation at the American Academy in Rome, which has supported over fifteen fellows to date.
The Suzanne Deal Booth Collaborative Partnership was initiated at Rice University in 2005. In 2015, Georgetown University inaugurated The Booth Center for Special Collections to house rare manuscripts, books, and artworks.
Deal Booth acted as patron for James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace at Rice University in 2012; this installation was named the Suzanne Deal Booth Centennial Pavilion.
In 2016, she introduced the Suzanne Deal Booth Prize at The Contemporary Austin—a $100,000 unrestricted award designed to support new solo exhibitions. The prize was expanded in 2018 through collaboration with FLAG Art Foundation in New York City, doubling its value to $200,000 and adding an exhibition opportunity in New York. Notable recipients include Rodney McMillian and Nicole Eisenman.
Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts established the Suzanne Deal Booth Executive Director role in 2017. A year later, ARTnews listed her among the top 200 collectors worldwide. She is recognized as a Fellow of the American Institute of Conservation and maintains collections that include Renaissance art, Old Master drawings, and contemporary works.
An advocate for education and cultural heritage preservation, Deal Booth actively supports arts philanthropy initiatives. She oversees Bella Oaks vineyard located in Rutherford, California—a historic estate acquired from Belle and Barney Rhodes in 2010. The winery produced its inaugural Cabernet Sauvignon vintage in 2018 under the expertise of Nigel Kinsman, formerly winemaker at Araujo.
Deal Booth has contributed to industry discussions such as ARTnews panels during Art Basel Miami (2018) and participated in “The Changing Role of Women in the Arts” panel at SXSW (2019). Her interests encompass contemporary art alongside Renaissance and Old Master pieces.
Personal life
In 1998, she entered into marriage with David G. Booth; the couple eventually divorced. Together, they have two children: a son named David Booth and a daughter named Erin Booth.