The Decorative Arts Trust

Northern Sicily: At the Crossroads of the Mediterranean

Study Trip Abroad
March 16–24, 2023 & March 28–April 5, 2023

Philadelphia

Spring Symposium
April 2023

France in the Footsteps of Jefferson

Study Trip Abroad
September 2023

Virtual Tour of Hunter House in Newport, RI

Available Now
Register to Watch

The Decorative Arts Trust is a non-profit membership organization that promotes and fosters the appreciation and study of the decorative arts through programs, partnerships, and grants and scholarships.

About

Calendar

GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Dewey Lee Curtis Symposium Scholarships

Apply by March 8 for Philadelphia

Research Grants

Apply by April 30

Prize for Excellence and Innovation

Apply by June 30

Events in the Field Online Calendar

Find in-person and virtual lectures, conferences, symposia, and panel discussions from around the globe on the Decorative Arts Trust’s Events in the Field calendar.

FROM THE MAGAZINE

Latrobe's Pope Villa in Lexington

Castle Ward in Northern Ireland

Eyre Hall on Virginia's Eastern Shore

FEATURED VIDEO

Made Along the James: The Decorative Arts of Eastern Virginia

Ronald L. Hurst, Senior Vice President for Museums, Preservation & Historic Resources and The Carlisle H. Humelsine Chief Curator at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, presented this fascinating lecture at the Decorative Arts Trust’s Fall 2022 Symposium in Richmond, VA.

IN THE BULLETIN

Embroidery and the Folklife Festival

Color in 19th-Century Painting and Weaving

Researching Italian, French, and Flemish Lace

ON INSTAGRAM

Jan 27

What is a Maine camp?

The term “camp” is used in Maine to refer to small, rustic cabins and cottages that operate as leisure accommodation structures. Catherine Cyr used a Decorative Arts Trust Research Grant in 2021 to study the architecture and histories of early camps in Central and Western Maine for her Master’s thesis through the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture. The construction of camps in the wilderness of Maine played a significant role in developing the state’s tourism industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Catherine’s goal was to advocate for the continued study and preservation of camps, encouraging the state to begin the process of designating extant late 19th- and early 20th-century camps as historic structures.

See the link in bio to read more in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯.

Pictured: Sleeping Cabins at Grant’s Kennebago Camp, Rangeley, Maine (sporting camp established in 1904). Image courtesy of Catherine Cyr.

@catherinecyr
@materialculturewinterthur
@mainemaritimemuseum
#TrustEmergingScholars
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#Architecture
#InteriorDesign
#Maine

Jan 26

This September, the Decorative Arts Trust invites you to experience France’s natural beauty, iconic landmarks, and staggering cultural repertoire through the lens of Thomas Jefferson, one of the original Americans in Paris. See the link in bio to learn more about our France in the Footsteps of Jefferson Study Trip Abroad. After a strong response to our early registration benefit, Tour 1 and the Optional Extension have sold out, but space remains available on Tour 2 (September 20–28, 2023). Register today!

Pictured: Paris’s Panthéon was architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot’s answer to Louis XV’s request to glorify the monarchy in the form of a church; The Musée Nissim de Camondo features the Great Drawing Room from the Comte de Menou’s Paris mansion; Luxembourg Palace boasts exquisite formal gardens.

#TravelsWithTheTrust
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#ArtTravel
#Art
#History
#Architecture
#France
#Paris
#Travel

Jan 25

Apply for a Dewey Lee Curtis Symposium Scholarship by March 8! The Decorative Arts Trust is now accepting applications for our April 2023 Symposium in Philadelphia.

Graduate students and young professionals in the decorative arts and related fields are invited to apply. Scholarships cover the full cost of symposium registration, lodging, and a modest travel stipend. The Trust is thrilled to invite young scholars to experience this sold-out event’s lectures, tours, and networking opportunities.

See link in bio or https://decorativeartstrust.org/grants-and-scholarships/continuing-education-scholarships/ for details on how to apply. Please share!

Pictured: Initially conceived as the Pennsylvania State House, Independence Hall witnessed the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence, the Second Continental Congress, and the Constitutional Convention. Extensive documentary research and archaeology resulted in the impressive restoration of the building and its interiors. Operated by the National Park Service, we have arranged bespoke tours that include areas not typically seen by visitors.

#TrustEmergingScholars
#TravelsWithTheTrust
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#History
#Scholarship
#Symposium
#Philadelphia

Jan 23

Today we celebrated the Decorative Arts Trust's Emerging Scholars Program with lectures from five fantastic young researchers at our 7th Annual Colloquium.

Pictured are Susan Eberhard from the University of California, Berkeley; Christina De León from Bard Graduate Center and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Olivia R. Scott from Parsons School of Design; Claire E. Sabitt from Princeton University; and Nina Blomfield from the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.

Thank you to event sponsors, Classical American Homes Preservation Trust and Mr. & Mrs. Donald B. Ayres III.

A festive brunch fundraiser at @Match65Brasserie followed, which was a splendid way to close out our fabulous weekend!

@classicalamericanhomes
@neenyneenyneeny
@xtina_de_leon
@s.eberhard
@claire.sabitt
@livrscott
@thewintershownyc
#TrustEmergingScholars
#TravelsWithTheTrust
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Antiques
#TheWinterShow
#TheWinterShowNYC
#AmericanaWeek
#NYC

Jan 22

The second day of our New York Antiques Weekend included delightful private tours at @TheWinterShowNYC. Pictured are a few highlights.

Following the tours, we sat for lunch and a fascinating panel discussion featuring Interior Designer Suzanne Tucker and Mitch Owens from World of Interiors in the Armory’s Board of Officers Room.

Then we enjoyed a visit to The @MetMuseum’s Deedee Wigmore Galleries with Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, the Anthony W. and Lulu C. Wang Curator of American Decorative Arts, as well as a special look behind the Tiffany Autumn Landscape window.

Our gratitude goes out to all of the hosts, guides, and members who made this year's program a spectacular success!

@liverant.antiques
@thistleamericana
@suzannetuckerhome
@mrmitchowens
@acfrelinghuysen
@metamericanwing
@eastsidehouseinc
#MetMoment
#TravelsWithTheTrust
#TheWinterShowNYC
#TheWinterShow
#AmericanaWeek
#NYC
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#Antiques
#ArtHistory

Jan 20

The Decorative Arts Trust is thrilled to be back in NYC for Americana Week! Our New York Antiques Weekend program kicked off today with curator-led tours at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

At The @MetMuseum, Andrienne Spinozzi led us through the new @MetAmericanWing exhibition #𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘔𝘦𝘕𝘰𝘸: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘌𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥, 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢 and Iris Moon showed us the British Galleries.

After a convivial private lunch at @PaolasOsteria, Yao-Fen You shared highlights of @CooperHewitt's 𝘏𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘥: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘐𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 exhibition, Caitlin Condell explored the 𝘔𝘳. 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘪’𝘴 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘖𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 18𝘵𝘩-𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 exhibition, and Devon Zimmerman spoke about the 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳: 𝘞. 𝘌. 𝘉. 𝘋𝘶 𝘉𝘰𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 1900 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳 exhibition.

@caitlincondell
@dqzimmer
#TravelsWithTheTrust
#MetMoment
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#Antiques
#ArtHistory
#AmericanaWeek

Jan 13

What do embroideries and festivals tell us about shaping the nation? Rachel Winter considers this question in her post for 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯. Rachel received a Research Grant to study a work by Mississippi embroiderer Ethel Wright Mohamed, commissioned for the 1976 Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife. See the link in bio to read about the importance of this important piece of late-20th-century material culture.

Pictured: Detail of the embroidery by Ethel Wright Mohamed commissioned for the 1976 Festival of American Folklife, made c. 1975-6, and the author with the embroidery. Material Culture Collection, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, MCC 211.

@rachelelisewinter
@smithsonianfolklife
@ucsbhaa
@msubroad
#TrustEmergingScholars
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#Embroidery
#ArtHistory
#History

Jan 9

To expand the accessibility of our Spring Symposium in Philadelphia, the Decorative Arts Trust invites you to register for optional tours without attending the main program. We added extra space in order to welcome more members to explore the Philadelphia region with us!

There is limited availability on these tours:

🔹 Thursday, April 27, 9:00 am-4:00 pm - Germantown Tour including Stenton (pictured), Wyck, Cliveden, Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, and Grumblethorpe

🔹 Sunday, April 30, 12:00 pm-7:00 pm - Rose Valley Tour including the Rose Valley Museum at Thunderbird Lodge, Hedgerow Theatre, and private residences

🔹 Sunday, April 30, 12:00 pm-8:00 pm - Salem, NJ Tour including the Abel and Mary Nicholson House, Hancock House, and private sites

The registration fee is $325 per person per tour. To register, see link in bio.

Note that you must be a member to register for this event. Members at the Dual Level and above may register both household members. Members at the Benefactor Level and above may bring a non-member guest.

Vaccination is required for participation in all Decorative Arts Trust programming. If you have not already done so, please submit your vaccination card upon registration. Participants should be prepared to test and wear masks when requested.

Cancellations and Refunds for those registered for optional tours: All cancellations received by February 28, 2023, are subject to a full refund less a $50 administrative fee per person. Participants canceling between February 28 and March 26, 2023, will receive a 50% refund. Refunds will not be made after March 26, 2023.

Jan 5

Don’t miss the Emerging Scholars Colloquium on Sunday, January 22, at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC! See the link in bio for details and to register.

At 9:00 am, we gather for a continental breakfast and conversation before the festivities begin. The presentations cover an exciting and fascinating range of topics, including Chinese export pewter with Susan Eberhard from the University of California, Berkeley; the luxury of early modern scissors with Claire E. Sabitt from Princeton University; Frank Lloyd Wright's Smith House with Nina Blomfield from the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research; 18th-century embroidery with Olivia R. Scott from Parsons School of Design, and 20th-century designers Clara Porset and Josef Albers with Christina De León from Bard Graduate Center and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. This event is sponsored by Classical American Homes Preservation Trust and Mr. & Mrs. Donald B. Ayres III.

We also invite you to stay for a festive brunch to celebrate our Emerging Scholars Program at noon. The registration fee is $125, and all proceeds benefit our Emerging Scholars Program.

We hope you can join us for this lively event. Please feel free to share!

Pictured:
Yousuf Karsh, Josef Albers, 1966.
Smith House, February 2019. Photo by Brett Mountain. Courtesy Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.
Possibly embroidered by Mary Pierpont or Mary Russell, Hooker-Pierpont-Russell-Talcott Family Apron (detail), 1730-1740, Embroidery, silk thread, metallic thread, plain-woven silk. Gift of Rebecca and Cornelia Butler, Connecticut Historical Society, 1859.9.0.
Jar (detail), Ming period. Pewter, brass. Gift of E. E. Ayer, Field Museum of Natural History, 1539, 110008.
Steel scissors with gold damascene, Deutsches Klingenmuseum, Solingen, Germany. 18th century, Isfahan.

@classicalamericanhomes
@neenyneenyneeny
@xtina_de_leon
@s.eberhard
@claire.sabitt
@livrscott
@yousuf_karsh_official
@thewintershownyc
#TrustEmergingScholars
#TravelsWithTheTrust
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Antiques
#TheWinterShow
#TheWinterShowNYC
#AmericanaWeek
#NYC

Jan 3

William T. Hobbs, Nancy R. Mansfield, and Corbett E. Toussaint join the Decorative Arts Trust Board of Governors!

See the link in bio to read more about these new Governors plus other Board news.

#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#NonprofitLeadership
#Leadership

Dec 27

Looking back, one of the highlights of the Trust's fall travels in Virginia was a visit to Westover, a home featured in a new 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 article: https://fredericmagazine.com/2022/11/charlotte-moss-colonial-williamsburg/. The impressive mid-18th-century house offered much to admire, from Westover’s riverfront location to the extensive gardens and outbuildings to an exciting revamp of the house’s sublime drawing room. The latter represents a collaboration between Virginia-born interior designer Charlotte Moss and Schumacher’s new Homecoming Collection with Colonial Williamsburg that generated contemporary comfort and flair within a fabulous historic space.

#TravelsWithTheTrust
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#InteriorDesign
#Architecture

Dec 16

What inspired Gobelins director Michel-Eugène Chevreul?

In the early 19th century, French colorant chemists in the textile industry looked to Chinese paintings to develop new scientific theories and to improve dyestuffs manufacture. With support from a Decorative Arts Trust Research Grant, Delanie Linden visited Paris to explore the historical relationship between tapestry-making and painting in France.

Read more about her research in the 𝘉𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯 post linked in bio.

Pictured:
Dyed threads at the Gobelins Manufacture.
Delanie Linden examines Chevreul’s archival notes on color juxtaposition.
Chevreul’s scientific publications lead me to the study of Chinese paintings in the Bertin Collection at the INHA, including this Folio in “Édifices Chinois.”

@delanielinden
@chromotope
@mitarchitecture
@mitarchitecturealumni
@mitstudents
@mitsap
@mithtc
@mistiatmit
#TrustEmergingScholars
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#Gobelins
#Textiles
#Painting

Dec 14

Please join us in welcoming Andrew Lunney, the Decorative Arts Trust’s new Educational Programs Assistant!

Members may have met Andrew on tours of the Virginia State Capitol during the Trust’s Fall 2022 Symposium in Richmond, or in his previous roles at Wilton, the Valentine, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Learn more about Andrew in the 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯 post linked in our bio!

@aslunney
@wiltonhousemuseum
@thevalentinerva
@vmfamuseum
@urichmondalumni
@vcualumni
@scrantonalumni
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture

Dec 12

The Decorative Arts Trust congratulates British and Irish Furniture Makers Online, The Center for Painted Wall Preservation, @PreservationLongIsland, and @StentonMuseum for receiving Failey Grants!

The Failey Grant program provides support for noteworthy research, exhibition, publication, and conservation projects through the Dean F. Failey Fund, named in honor of the Trust’s late Governor. Preference is given to projects that employ or are led by emerging professionals in the museum field.

See the link in bio to read more about the grant recipients in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯.

Pictured:
Detail of Rufus Porter's mural, likely early 1830s, in the Andrews House in West Boxford, MA. Distemper paint on plaster. Courtesy the Center for Painted Wall Preservation.
The British and Irish Furniture Makers Online (BIFMO) project researches makers such as Giles Grendey, whose stunning 1735–40 card table is in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. (Lacquered and gilded beech, lined with felt. Gift of Louis J. Boury, 1937, 37.114.)
Edward Lange, 𝘓𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 (detail), 1880. Watercolor, gouache, and lead pencil on paper. Collection of Preservation Long Island, 2011.2.
Anne Reckless Emlen, Shellwork grotto, 1757, Philadelphia. The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Stenton.

@furniturehistorysociety
@bifmo.fhs
@historicpaintedwalls
@laurielindey
@turpinadriana
@lindalefko
@lhbrin27
@peter_fedoryk
@laura.c.keim
@ladyfungi
#TrustEmergingScholars
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#Research

Dec 9

Register now for the Decorative Arts Trust’s Spring 2023 Symposium in Philadelphia on April 26-30!

Parallel to its early prominence as a center of intellectual and political exchange, Philadelphia has been a capital of cultural and artistic output since the 17th century. The Trust, founded in the Philadelphia region on the heels of the nation’s bicentennial, has cultivated a bevy of local connections that will be fully harnessed to provide bespoke experiences at iconic sites. And @HindmanAuctions will generously sponsor an Opening Reception in conjunction with the Preview Party of @ThePhiladelphiaShow. From Old City to the Main Line, the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the homes of Fairmount Park, come explore the Birthplace of America as you have never seen it before.

See the link in bio for more information and to register. Our symposia sell out quickly–register today!

Pictured: Cliveden; Rose Valley Museum at Thunderbird Lodge; Philadelphia Museum of Art.

@philamuseum
@cliveden1767
@rosevalleymuseum
#TravelsWithTheTrust
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Architecture
#Philadelphia

Dec 6

Are you watching 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 and dreaming of exploring Sicily? The Decorative Arts Trust has a few spaces available on both Sicily tours this March. We would love to have you with us!

This Study Trip Abroad begins in charming Taormina at the San Domenico Palace, where the second season of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 was filmed. We then continue along the breathtaking northern coast, visiting sites in Cefalù and Palermo. Art historian Christopher Newall, a specialist in Sicilian history and culture, provides insightful commentary for both tours. The palaces, cathedrals, museums, and gardens—as well as the food, wine, and convivial company—are sure to make this trip one you will not soon forget.

Tour 1 is March 15–24, 2023, and Tour 2 is March 28–April 5, 2023. Register via the link in bio, or call us at 610.627.4970.

We hope you can join us in Sicily!

@thewhitelotus
@thewhitelotushbo
#TravelsWithTheTrust
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtTravel
#Taormina
#Sicily
#Italy

Nov 29

On this #GivingTuesday, the Decorative Arts Trust would like to say thank you to all of our members, donors, and those who promote our mission and activities through social shares and word-of-mouth.

In 2022, over 50 individuals and institutions have received grants and scholarships from us, thanks to your generosity and efforts!

See some of these remarkable recipients in our comments, and learn more about the #TrustEmergingScholars Program at https://decorativeartstrust.org/grants-and-scholarships/ (link in bio).

Nov 22

The #AttinghamSummerSchool boasts a uniquely ambitious itinerary: 29 historic properties, museums, and gardens; 18 formal lectures; numerous in-situ guided tours; and countless peer-to-peer discussions, all in 17 days. Devon Zimmerman from the @OgunquitMuseum of American Art attended the renowned program this year, thanks to a Decorative Arts Trust Continuing Education Scholarship.

Devon describes what he learned during what he calls “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I had hoped it would be” in the 𝘉𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯 post linked in our bio.

Pictured: Christopher Ridgeway discusses the follies and mausoleum at @Castle_Howard.

@theattinghamtrust
#TrustEmergingScholars
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#Architecture

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