Inside the Home and Globetrotting Life of a Pair of Passionate Art Lovers

If you ever get invited to PURE Insurance members Louise and Jay Greenspans’ house, don’t ask to see their art collection. You won’t have to.

The Greenspans’ vast collection reflects the enthusiasm of two genuine, lifelong art lovers. Just don’t call them collectors. “We’re not trying to build a collection,” Louise says. “We just have beautiful pieces that we love.”

This down-to-earth attitude is typical of these two remarkable, optimistic doers who have dedicated their lives to making a difference in the world. Louise, born and raised in London, completed her education before volunteering in Botswana. Jay, a New Jersey native, began volunteering as a hospice care worker while still in college.

The Greenspans’ bespoke dining room table, made from the root of an African teak tree to remind the couple of their time in Cape Town.

At the age of 37, Jay started a consulting company with two friends in Sausalito, where he then met Louise. The two were married soon after and now have three grown children.

The company, JMJ Associates, would become a global consulting powerhouse. They were hired to transform dire issues that had afflicted the mining industry in southern Africa for decades. “When that opportunity came up, it meant relocating to Cape Town with our small children,” Louise remembers. “It was amazing, beautiful, raw and difficult. But I’m so glad we did that.”

When it was time to return to the U.S., Louise looked for a house that had enough space to display their artwork. Eventually, she found a home in Washington D.C.—Jay calls it “an art gallery you can live in”—and their financial advisor suggested PURE.

“Actually, he didn’t say, ‘I recommend this,’” Jay recalls. “He said, ‘You would be crazy to do anything else.’”

After the move, PURE Art Services began working with the Greenspans to understand their priorities for the in-home art gallery and assessed the collection. “I was completely taken aback by their level of care,” Jay says.

“They helped us understand the value of what we had,” Louise continues, “and researched pieces and artists that we didn’t know much about.”

In Cape Town, the Greenspans had acquired a work by South African artist Deborah Bell titled, “Return of the Gods-The Ancient Ones”—a group of five bronze statues 9 feet tall and 2,000 pounds each, far too big for an ordinary house. After years of exhibiting it at various venues, they considered donating it to a museum. But finding the right institution proved difficult. So, the Greenspans turned to PURE Art Services for help.

Featured Art: “Untitled” by Robin Dash (right).

“They went to work on our behalf,” Jay says. “They spent time researching and made multiple recommendations and contacts with no compensation from us; it was part of their service.”

PURE Fine Art Specialist Casey Newbegin provided the Greenspans with guidance for institutional donation, as well as advice for private and public sale. In the end, a private buyer purchased the work. “Their help was invaluable,” Louise says.

The couple shared that, at its core, art grounds them in who they are. “Every day we wake up to find ourselves in a space of such incredible beauty. We know that no matter what happens during the day, we already experienced a moment of sheer awe and wonder.”

That love of art and sharing with others are ongoing themes for the Greenspans. “If we have something that’s beautiful and other people get pleasure out of it, that’s a wonderful thing,” Jay says. “That’s the whole point of art,” Louise says.

PURE is a specialty property and casualty insurer, dedicated to creating an exceptional experience for responsible high net worth families. PURE provides customizable coverage for high-value homes, automobiles, jewelry, art, personal liability, watercraft, flood, fraud, and cyber fraud. Today, PURE’s membership includes more than 100,000 families from across the U.S. For more information or to find a local broker, visit pureinsurance.com.