Richard and Carole Tapper

Romeo, MI

What kind of artwork do you collect? We collect mostly bronzes and oil paintings, although we have several other forms of art.

How would you describe your approach to collecting? Our approach to collecting is to buy art that is visually appealing to us. We are rather haphazard in our approach.

How many pieces have you acquired over the years? We have acquired more than 60 pieces.

Richard and Carole Tapper

How long have you been collecting? We started collecting around 1985.

How did you get started? We started when a physician acquaintance of ours was moving to a smaller home and sold us some of his pieces. We bought some very old paintings and porcelain.

What was the first piece you purchased? Four Chinese master artworks dating back to the 18th century.

What’s your most recent acquisition? Our most recent purchase is renowned bronze artist Jason Napier’s pheasant bench.

What’s on your wish list for the future? We would like to acquire another Alfredo Rodriguez painting or a piece of Marvin Blackmore pottery.

What piece do visitors comment on the most? In our home, the piece most commonly commented on is a Caroline Young oil-on-silk piece, purchased on our honeymoon. In our gardens, the most interest has been in Jason Napier’s WATER JOCKEYS.

Describe your sculpture gardens. The Tapper Gardens cover three and a half acres with both a Japanese and European atmosphere. The gardens began in 2000 as a hobby and quickly became a labor of love. There are three beautiful Japanese-style ponds, a reflection pool, and three waterfalls. And there are over 4,000 bushes, trees, and plants. This year we have added a Japanese tea house with a beautiful view of the gardens. The gardens also include several sculptures by Jason Napier. The gardens are open to the public two to three days a year. We also open the gardens to garden clubs and individuals by appointment.