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Farnsworh Art Museum

 Every Picture Tells a Story:

N.C. Wyeth Illustrations from the Brandywine River Museum    N.C. Wyeth, The Hunter (detail), 1906; oil on canvas, 38 7/8 x 26 5/8 in.; collection of the Brandywine River Museum

April 27, 2013 – December 29, 2013, Wyeth Center

The exhibition, based on the holdings of the BrandywineRiverMuseum in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, is composed of 30 paintings by N. C. Wyeth that span four decades of his work, from early western pictures through Robert Louis Stevenson classics to later illustrations in experimental styles. The paintings were reproduced as illustrations for book and magazine stories and are linked by the concept of narrative that lay behind their creation. The exhibition also includes a selection of books and magazines to enable visitors to see original publications, the size of the illustrations, and the quality of the reproduction processes. This exhibition is organized by Christine Podmaniczky, Associate Curator for the N.C. Wyeth collection at the BrandywineRiverMuseum and author of the N.C. Wyeth catalogue raisonné.

This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of:

Bass Foundation, Richard Gilder and Lois Chiles, Anna Mae and George Twigg III and an anonymous gift

The primary media sponsor of this exhibition is Maine Home + Design

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Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Henry Moore. Works on paper from the Henry Moore Family Collection

 Jul 22, 2010 – Oct 03, 2010 

Henry Moore, Reclining Figure, 1972, chinagraph pen, watercolor and felt-tipped pen,Henry Moore Family Collection

For British sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986) drawing was both ancillary to his three-dimensional body of work and autonomous from it.  This significant exhibition, organized by Hauser & Wirth in collaboration with the Moore family, highlights Moore’s prodigious talent as a draftsman, featuring work produced over six decades.  Moore never abandoned the life-drawing practice he had initiated as a student in Paris in the 1920s. If Moore’s sculptural subjects (his reclining figures, for example) furnished him with constraints in which to work, drawing offered him opportunities to refine his “ideas for sculpture” but, just as importantly, to digress from them. On paper, Moore worked in an exceptionally diverse variety of media ranging from chalk and crayon to pen and ink, often all in the same drawing; in every case he was as attuned to his materials as he was in his sculpture-indeed, the intense physicality of his drawings could be deemed sculptural. This exhibition presents spectacular selection of diverse works on paper by one of the twentieth century’s most celebrated artists. 

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MAINE MUSEUMS AND HISTORICAL ORGANIZATIONS RALLY TO SAVE IMPORTANT 19th-CENTURY BANNERS

(Portland, Maine) On Thursday, August 26, sixteen Maine museums, historical organizations, and their supporters came together in an unprecedented collaboration to save an important collection of Maine artifacts, seventeen rare, 19th-century hand-painted banners commissioned by the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association. The banners were purchased for $125,350 and will be housed at the Maine Historical Society in Portland.

 At the end of July, Maine museums and historical organizations learned that these banners were to be consigned for sale to James D. Julia Inc. auction house in Fairfield, Maine. Knowing the significance of these works and their value in keeping them in the public domain for future generations, Maine museums and historical organizations rallied together to raise funds to purchase them. The following organizations were involved: Maine Historical Society, Portland Museum of Art, Maine State Museum, Maine Maritime Museum, the Maine State Historian, Bates College Museum of Art, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, and Colby College Museum of Art. Corporate and individual support was provided by: James Julia, L.L. Bean, Diana and Linda Bean, Chris Livesay, Elsie Viles, Libra Foundation, and an anonymous Boston foundation. Harry Rubenstein, chair of the Division of Political History from the Smithonian’s National Museum of American History, was also in attendance at the auction.

 “The focus, hard work, and unselfish generosity of the cooperating museums was unprecedented in my experience,” said Richard D’Abate, Executive Director of the Maine Historical Society. “I think we owe that to our common recognition that the banners were one of the state’s true artistic and historical treasures. They had to be saved.”

  “These banners are important symbols of community and it was key that we keep them together and in Maine,” said Portland Museum of Art Chief Curator Thomas Denenberg.

 “The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History was glad to support the effort to keep together this important collection of artisan banners. The beautifully illustrated banners recall the ideals of a community based on values of productive citizenship and industry. They are a true national treasure,” said Harry Rubenstein, chair of the museum’s Division of Political History. “I can think of no better result than having them preserved and remain in the state. We look forward to future collaboration with the Maine Historical Society and other consortium partners.”

 The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association, located in downtown Portland, created this series of linen banners in the early 1800s to promote skilled trades. The majority of the banners were painted by decorative painter William Capen and many have fringe and were attached to wooden arms for hanging or carrying in parades. According to the auctioneer, together the banners were worth between $100,000 and $200,000. The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association decided to sell them for financial reasons.

Photo Above: Courtesy James D. Julia, Auctioneers, Fairfield, Maine

 MUSEUM INFORMATION

The Portland Museum of Art, Maine’s largest art museum, showcases fine and decorative arts from the 18th century to the present. From Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth to Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet, the Museum features three centuries of art and architecture. The Museum is located at Seven Congress Square in downtown Portland. Hours are: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. Memorial Day through Columbus Day, the Museum is open on Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Museum admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with I.D., $4 for youth ages 6 to 17, and children under 6 are free. The Museum is free on Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., made possible through the generous support of L.L.Bean and Patricia and Cyrus Hagge. No admission is required to visit the Museum Café and Store. For more information, call (207) 775-6148 or visit portlandmuseum.org.