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He was a postal clerk. She was a librarian. With their modest means, the couple managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history. Meet Herbert and Dorothy Vogel, whose shared passion and commitment defied stereotypes and redefined what it means to be an art collector.

A film by first-time filmmaker Megumi Sasaki, Herb & Dorothy is an intimate portrait documenting the life and passion of this storied couple. This inspiring documentary was five years in the making and surprisingly, the first documentary film about the Vogels. As Sasaki explained, the film is really a, “love story,” telling the tale of the love between Herb and Dorothy themselves, and their commitment and passion for collecting art.

In the early ‘60s, when very little attention was paid to Minimalist and Conceptual Art, Herb and Dorothy quietly began purchasing the works of unknown artists. Devoting all of Herb’s salary to buy art, and living on Dorothy’s paycheck alone, they continued collecting artworks guided by two rules: the piece had to be affordable, and small enough to fit in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment. Within these limitations, they proved themselves curatorial visionaries; most of those they supported and befriended went on to become world-renowned artists. Their circle includes: Sol LeWitt, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Richard Tuttle, Chuck Close, Robert and Sylvia Mangold, Lynda Benglis, Pat Steir, Robert Barry, Lucio Pozzi and Lawrence Weiner.

Amassing over 4000 works of art over the course of 30 years, in 1992 the Vogels decided to gift their entire collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. As Dorothy explained, the Vogels were both lifelong employees of the US government and it felt right for them to have their collection shown in a public museum, one that has a free admission policy so anyone and everyone can see the collection.

After cataloging and documenting the entire collection, the National Gallery accepted 1000 works from the Vogel collection, an additional 2500 works will be endowed through a national gifting program. The full list of receiving institutions was announced earlier this week. The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: 50 Works for 50 States offers 50 artworks to a selected museum in each of the 50 states.