Episode 2: Meet Steve Shane - Is There Such a Thing as Having Too Much Art?

In this episode, we sit down with collector Steve Shane to hear the story of his first art purchase and explore what it truly means to live with art everywhere. From the living room to the bathroom walls, we ask: Is there ever such a thing as too much art?

Click it to listen on Spotify!

Have you ever wondered what it’s truly like living with art? Art in your bedroom, kitchen, or even your bathroom? Is there such a thing as having too much art? In today’s episode, we are exploring these questions through a fascinating conversation with a contemporary art collector, Steve Shane, who lives and breathes art in his home. When entering his apartment, it feels like stepping into his story. Every available surface, from floor to ceiling, is adorned with artworks arranged salon-style—layered, well-blended, and deeply personal.

Steve: Young people often change apartments, maybe three times a year, or move places. But I had a portfolio of reproduction posters of famous artists, blue chip artists from the museums, Modigliani, Chagall, Soutine, Picasso, etc. And as soon as I moved into the apartment, I would plaster the walls with reproduction posters. So it's just called Living with Art. And I'm really doing the same thing. I mean, those posters, they were images of works. It almost doesn't matter. Is it a unique painting or a print? It doesn't matter. I'm still doing the same thing I did when I was 20 years old, for example, which is quite a long time ago.

So, what drives someone to collect art so passionately? For Steve Shane, the idea of 'too much art' simply doesn’t exist. It all began with a piece by Alex Katz. Here’s Steve sharing the story behind his very first art purchase.

Steve: They're oil on aluminum, and this is of his wife Ada, it's called Half View of Ada, it's painted on both sides, it was from Susanne Hillbery.

So, FYI Susanne Hillbery was a pioneering American art dealer and gallerist who played a transformative role in Detroit’s contemporary art scene.

Steve: It was Alex Katz. Of course, people didn't hear of him from then, but I went to the opening, I met him. I mean, Suzanne actually had a Lee Krasner show. Lee Krasner was married to Jackson Pollock, in case the audience doesn't know that. And then she drives these people in, and they would stay at her beautiful home in Detroit when I met Alex Katz. And I spoke to him, and I didn't have any money. It's called a cutout, yeah. Yeah, you called it a painting, but he called them cutouts.

So Katz's signature 'cutout' style began by chance in 1959. He wasn’t happy with a painting’s background, so he cut out the figure itself, mounted it separately, and thus created a kind of freestanding 'picture sculpture’.

Steve: You know, I asked my mom if she would buy this Alex Katz’s cutout for me? I don’t like talking about money, so I’m not gonna say how much it was, but I don’t have any money. My mom bought it for me, and I was supposed to pay… I think it’s kind of ridiculous. I think I was supposed to pay either five dollars a month or fifteen dollars a month to her, but I wasn’t working and to paying her for my allowance. She was giving me while I was at college, which was funny. But I think I only made three payments to her.

Listening to this story made me curious: What exactly motivates Steve to collect art so passionately? For some people, collecting art is less about passion and more about prestige—a way to showcase trophies rather than genuine interests. Let’s see what Steve says about that.

Steve: This collecting thing that I own is just a side effect of my passion. I look at art with my eyes and my heart, well, and my brain, of course, the brain is always about. But not my ears. That's just people who are, I don't know, it's these people that are called art collectors who don't really care about art. They're looking for trophies. A lot of them seem materialistic to me, or maybe they don't have too much confidence, and they want to impress people with trophy art.

While Steve shared about his experience with his first art purchase,  He also mentioned four negative trigger words, which reveal something unique about his nature.

Steve: It's again, not with my ears, that's for sure. Suzanne didn't say you should buy one, Steve. I hate it when someone tells me. I think this would be a really good point to say this, that there’re four words that start with I that are a negative trigger for me. It is investing, interesting, iconic, and important. So let me tell you something. Susan Hillberry, who's an art historian, the head of the 20th century art department at the Detroit Institute of Art, she sure has held and say this is a good investment. And nothing's gonna ever be an investment for me because I'm gonna die with the work.

To Steve, he sees himself more as an art lover instead of an art collector. Instead of collecting trophies, Steve has thoughtfully set up a committee to ensure that his artworks continue to inspire, educate, and remain appreciated long after his lifetime. His vision isn’t about status or material worth—it's about meaningful connections and keeping the conversation around art alive. So next time when you hang something on your wall, you may ask yourself, am I hanging this for others or for me? Because as Steve has shown us today, the most meaningful collections come straight from the heart.

Thank you for joining me today on ART Snacks. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends. I'm your host, Tiffany Yang, and I will see you next time for another bite-sized look into the world.