This volume explores the collection of the preeminent patrons of contemporary art in the Northwest. Virginia and Bagley Wright spent their early married life in New York at mid-century, where they began collecting works by the Abstract Expressionists. Their move to Seattle in 1955 brought an interest in Northwest artists, but they also maintained their connections with the New York art world. The Wrights' main strategy in collecting -- to buy work by promising artists when it is most affordable -- has produced a rich assembly that spans many artistic styles and several generations of artists. Most important, the Wright collection reflects a passion to understand and experience some of the ideas that define our times; it is rooted in the notion of excellence, and it is not afraid to go against the standards and proprieties of prevailing good taste. The book includes an intriguing picture sequence intended to whet the reader's appetite -- to create a desire to experience the textures and colors of this remarkable set of objects, and to infect the mind with an urge to understand why and how contemporary art speaks its mind and offers its solace.