Style Spotlight: Must-See Museum Stores

November 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 70, Winter 2009-2010 | 3 COMMENTS

You’re surely familiar with the major museums in big cities across the country, but how well versed are you when it comes to America’s leading museum stores?

Now you can tour the country by way of museum stores with the help of The Cultural Traveler, a new guidebook created by the Museum Store Association (MSA), the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council, and the Shop America Alliance. In addition to a full-color publication, the entire book is also available electronically at http://museum-store.travel.

“Museum stores provide a singular shopping experience for travelers looking to take home a special remembrance of their visit,” says MSA executive director Beverly Barsook.

The inaugural 2009 edition highlights art institutions as well as other family-focused cultural destinations. Features include a green gift guide of unique museum store offerings, including a toy tea set made of recycled milk containers from the de Young Museum’s store, and a handbag made of mosquito netting from the Tacoma Art Museum’s store.

The 2010 edition will be available in print and online by the end of the year.

Style Spotlight: Art Centers Celebrate Milestones

November 2009 | BY Christine Kloostra | Issue 70, Winter 2009-2010 | NO COMMENTS

: The Abington Art Center celebrated its 70th anniversary in April.

The Evanston Art Center in Evanston, Ill., celebrated its 80th anniversary in September with “For the Love of Art,” a brunch and silent auction. Guest speaker Janet Carl Smith, Chicago’s deputy commissioner of cultural programming, gave a lecture about the importance of arts to the community. Founded in 1929, the nonprofit is one of the largest community art centers in Illinois, and offers visual art classes, public lectures, changing exhibitions and youth outreach activities year round. “We have our sights set on the future,” remarks executive director Norah Delaney.

The Abington Art Center in Jenkintown, Pa., rang in its 70th anniversary in April with the exhibition “Forever Young: Celebrating Seven Decades of Art,” a showcase of work by regional artists. Founded in 1939 as the Old York Road Art Guild, it was gifted a more formal campus in 1969 when book collector Lessing J. Rosenwald and his wife Edith donated Alverthorpe Manor to the township. Today, the nonprofit sits on a 27-acre campus and hosts rotating exhibitions, workshops and classes. The center will continue to develop its sculpture garden with commissions and improved pedestrian paths.

The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pa., invited “one and all” to celebrate
its 35th birthday with live music, wheel-throwing demonstrations and a silent auction Oct. 10. Founded in 1974 by five artists in need of workspace, the nonprofit has transformed itself into a stepping stone for students fresh out of art school by providing affordable studio space and shared equipment. The Clay Studio also offers a gallery with rotating exhibitions, classes, and educational and outreach programs.

Arts Travel: Competitive Plantings

August 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 69, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

: Barbara Kobylinska’s colorful “Skinny Pineapple” sculpture. Credit: United States Botanic Garden

Take advantage of the last warm days of summer at “Flora: Growing Inspirations,” at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., through Oct. 12. The exhibition, co-organized with the Washington Sculptors Group, features contemporary plant-inspired sculpture on display in outdoor garden rooms.

Following a national competition, a jury selected pieces by 34 artists based on how well they symbolize the role of plants in culture.“The symbolism of plant images in art, such as the olive branch, has extended across the millennia,” says Holly Shimizu, executive director of the Botanic Garden.

Stroll through the “Mediterranean Interlude” garden, where Barbara Kobylinska’s colorful “Skinny Pineapple” sculpture, made of industrial extrusion clay, is displayed. Or study the contrast in color and texture between plants and brilliantly painted stucco walls in the “Variation on a Theme” garden.

The Botanic Garden, located at the foot of the U.S. Capitol building, is free and open to the public every day. Log on to www.usbg.gov to learn more

More Bang for your Buck: Baskets

August 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 69, October 2009 | 1 COMMENT

Joh Ricci knots hand-dyed nylon to put a colorful twist on the traditional basket form. “Lily,” measuring 2×4 inches, is $765. Ricci is represented by Snyderman-Works Galleries in Philadelphia, Pa., and Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M.

More Bang for your Buck: Paper Art

August 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 69, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

Found maps, postage stamps and antique currency are the makings of Virginia Rose Kane’s delicate paper collages. “Easter Orchid” is priced at $750; Kane’s work can be found at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center in Frederick, Md.

More Bang for your Buck: Boxes

August 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 69, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

Philip Weber’s wood boxes are both functional and decorative, and are created using time-honored joinery techniques. Pieces like “Inspector,” $790, will be shown at the Washington Craft Show in Washington, D.C., and the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.

More Bang for your Buck: Still Lifes

August 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 69, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

Frederick G. Yost likes to use fruits as the subject of his still lifes because “they are inexpensive, sit still, and can be consumed afterwards.” His pastel “Lone Pear” is priced at $350. Yost is represented by Mariposa Gallery in Albuquerque, N.M., and Corrales Bosque Gallery in Corrales, N.M.

More Bang for your Buck: Bracelets

August 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 69, October 2009 | 1 COMMENT

Vintage wooden letterpress pieces are sawed, sanded and carved to become the building blocks of Connie Verrusio’s “Letterpress Bracelet,” $295. Verrusio’s work can be found at Thomas Mann Gallery in New Orleans, La., and the Craft Alliance in St. Louis, Mo.

More Bang for Your Buck

August 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 69, October 2009 | 1 COMMENT

: “Letterpress Bracelet” by Connie Verrusio

One of the hardest things about assembling a collection is knowing where to start. It often helps to choose a particular area of focus. “It’s about defining personal domains, choosing one’s own precincts of concentration,” says lifelong collector Marilynn Gelfman Karp.

We’ve brainstormed some specific types of collectibles you might want to consider, then handpicked an object in each category to get your wheels turning. The best part? None of these knockouts will break the bank. They are all under $1,000, with many falling under $500.

Bracelets
Still Lifes
Boxes
Paper Art
Baskets
Pots
Clocks
Wall Hangings
Western Art
Masks

Hands-on Experiences

August 2009 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 69, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

Are you ready to become more involved with a museum or take a few classes to learn a medium firsthand? We’ve compiled a sampling of young collectors organizations and schools across the country to help you get started.

Young collectors groups usually tailor their programming to professionals between the ages of 21 and 49. The craft-centric schools listed below offer an array of classes and programs year round for every age group.

Don’t see your state or museum on the list? Do a little digging, and you’re sure to find something in your area.

Schools

Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Snowmass Village, Colo.

Appalachian Center for Craft
Smithville, Tenn.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Brookfield Craft Center
Brookfield, Conn.

Center for Furniture Craftsmanship
Rockport, Maine

Eugene Glass School
Eugene, Ore.

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Deer Isle, Maine

John C. Campbell Folk School
Brasstown, N.C.

Oregon College of Art and Craft
Portland, Ore.

Ox-Bow
Saugatuck, Mich.

Penland School of Crafts
Penland, N.C.

Peters Valley Craft Center
Layton, N.J.

Pilchuck Glass School
Stanwood, Wash.

Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
San Francisco, Calif.

Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, R.I.

Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah, Ga.

Southwest School of Art & Craft
San Antonio, Texas

Young Collectors Groups

NORTHEAST

360 Young Collectors
Museum of Arts and Design
New York, N.Y.

The Apollo Circle
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, N.Y.

Columbia Alumni Arts League
Columbia University
New York, N.Y.

The Contemporaries
New York, N.Y.

The Contemporaries
Portland Museum of Art
Portland, Maine

Museum Council
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Boston, Mass.

Whitney Contemporaries
Whitney Museum of American Art
New York, N.Y.

Young Associates
Chelsea Art Museum
New York, N.Y.

Young Collectors Council
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
New York, N.Y.

The Young Fellows
The Morgan Library & Museum
New York, N.Y.

Young Fellows
The Frick Collection
New York, N.Y.

Young Friends
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, Pa.

MIDWEST

Young Art Patrons
Joslyn Art Museum
Omaha, Neb.

Young Friends
St. Louis Art Museum
St. Louis, Mo.

THE SOUTH

Art Krewe
Huntsville Museum of Art
Huntsville, Ala.

Canvas
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Richmond, Va.

Contemporaries
Columbia Museum of Art
Columbia, S.C.

Junior Rembrandts
Mississippi Museum of Art
Jackson, Miss.

MAM Contemporaries
Miami Art Museum
Miami, Fla.

Smithsonian Young Benefactors
Smithsonian Institution museums
Washington, D.C.

The Young Affiliates of the Mint
Mint Museum of Art/Mint Museum of Craft + Design
Charlotte, N.C.

Young Patrons
High Museum of Art
Atlanta, Ga.

SOUTHWEST

Menil Contemporaries
The Menil Collection
Houston, Texas

The Modern Contemporaries
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas

Young Associates
Denver Art Museum
Denver, Colo.

Young Benefactors
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Salt Lake City, Utah

Young Collectors
Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix, Ariz.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

miXmedia
Bellevue Arts Museum
Bellevue, Wash.

Young Patrons
Portland Art Museum
Portland, Ore.

CALIFORNIA

ArtPoint
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
San Francisco, Calif.

Contemporary Extension
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco, Calif.

The MOCA Contemporaries
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, Calif.

Young Collectors
Museum of Craft and Folk Art
San Francisco, Calif.

Young Professionals
San Jose Museum of Art
San Jose, Calif.

Locating Like-Minded Collectors

August 2009 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 69, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

Books and Internet resources are great ways to educate yourself about a medium, but there’s nothing quite like interacting with others who share your passion. Below, we’ve compiled some of the best associations and organizations for every collector.

GENERAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Canada Council for the Arts
Ottawa, Ont., Canada

Craft Alliance
St. Louis, Mo.

Craft Organization Development Association (CODA)
Onia, Ark.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston, Texas

James Renwick Alliance
Bethesda, Md.

Northwest Art Alliance
Seattle, Wash.

Society for Contemporary Craft
Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Society of Arts and Crafts
Boston, Mass.

CERAMICS

American Art Pottery Association
Various locations

Baltimore Clayworks
Baltimore, Md.