Susann Kelly Kurz: Collector, Designer, World Traveler

03/24/2026 General, Modern & Contemporary Art, 19th & 20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts

NEW YORK, NY -- Susann Kelly Kurz, or Kelly as her friends and family called her, grew up in Paoli, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Dr. John Anthony Kelly and Anne Simons, an opera singer with the Philadelphia Opera. Kelly was an alumna of The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr and then attended Connecticut College before graduating in 1962 from the New York School of Interior Design.

Kelly’s father served as a doctor for the Philadelphia Eagles football team, but after hours he cared for his community, serving both those who could afford his services and the less fortunate. One of his patients, artist and designer Wharton Esherick, often paid for medical visits with artwork. Over time, he became a treasured family friend, inscribing pieces for each member of the Kelly family and even attending Kelly’s eventual wedding. In many ways, Kelly grew up understanding that art was not separate from life but woven directly into it.

In 1964, Kelly married Ted Kurz, a soon-to-be partner at the distinguished New York law firm Debevoise & Plimpton. Rather than embarking on a traditional honeymoon, Kelly and Ted moved to Greece after his graduation from Yale Law School to teach English at Athens College. What began as a brief adventure became a lasting bond—Greece left an indelible mark on both, and Kelly embraced it not as a visitor but as someone who belonged there.

In 1990, Kelly met Jim Worth, an accomplished artist in his own right, who would be her partner for the next 32 years. They shared a life of adventure, exploring some of the most far-reaching corners of the world.

Kelly always felt a gravitational pull toward stimulating travel—lounging by a pool held no appeal. A voracious explorer, she approached each journey with maps in hand and a stack of guidebooks, determined to fully experience every place she visited. Her adventures ranged from horseback riding through the deserts of Morocco to driving into Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater, and even sharing a campsite with a tame cheetah that wandered in for the stay. Over the years, she traveled extensively across Africa—including Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Kenya, Botswana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa—while also returning often to Asia, with India and Bhutan among her favorite destinations. Kelly’s curiosity about other cultures and her desire to understand what moved people and inspired their art remained a foundational pillar of her life.

Travel fed Kelly’s soul, but it also sharpened the design instincts that defined her career as a trusted interior designer. With a confident eye, she rejected the notion of “neutral” and firmly believed that a well-placed accent rug could solve most of the world’s problems. Over the years, she worked with clients around the globe, many of whom became lifelong friends, including Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, as well as advertising legend Keith Reinhard.

Property from the Estate of Susann Kelly Kurz will be offered across select sales this spring, highlighted by Home from 1981 by Indian-born American artist Zarina Hashmi, to be offered with Important Fine Art on May 20 (above). Beginning in the late 1970s, Kelly developed a close friendship with Brinda Dubey and her husband, Ambassador Sushil Dubey, who was serving at the Mission of India to the United Nations. Mrs. Dubey introduced Kelly to Zarina Hashmi, whose husband was a colleague of Ambassador Dubey’s. Shaped by her life across many countries, Zarina explored the idea of home as a fluid concept in her artwork. In the early 1980s, Kelly acquired Home, which became her favorite piece in the collection.

Additional highlights include a group of studio furniture by lifelong family friend Wharton Esherick to be offered with Doyle+Design in June (above); as well as artwork by Alex Katz, Wolf Kahn, Robert Kulicke and Paul Resika; stylish furnishings and tribal art in select sales through June.

Upcoming Auctions

Above (l-r) Kelly with artist and designer Wharton Esherick at her 1964 wedding to Ted Kurz / Kelly with life partner, artist Jim Worth.