The Decorative Arts Trust - Fostering appreciation for the decorative arts

Virtual Tour with Ralph Harvard

Register now for this virtual tour on April 22

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Virtual Dialogue with Alec Cobbe and Leslie Fitzpatrick

Save the date for this May 10 program

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Prize For Excellence and Innovation

Nominations for the $100,000 Prize are due by June 30

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Critical Operations Support Fund

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Membership with the Decorative Arts Trust

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Collaboration, Partnership, and Support

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LATEST NEWS

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Apr 16

Open

Springtime in Virginia at one particular site has been so prodigious that we decided we had to take advantage of it. On April 22 at 1:00 pm ET, join the Trust and Ralph Harvard for a special April tour of an important private Cavalier-Georgian mansion on the banks of the Rappahannock River. Drifts of daffodils blanket the terraces down to the river, and the local flora will be on full display. Dating from the mid-18th century, the brickwork on this bantam landmark is superb, with beefy cast details and vitrified-header panels, and Ralph will, of course, wallow in the masonry minutiae. Inside, the woodwork is practically untouched and features Virginia’s earliest curved stair and several Scottish inspired elements. The house and grounds have been meticulously restored, and hospitality reigns here, so we welcome you to join us for rousting fun as we explore this spectacular property.

See the link in our bio to register!
https://decorativeartstrust.org/april-2021-tour/

@theralphharvard
#TrustVirtual
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#History
#Research

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Apr 9

Open

Reminder: April 30 is our annual research grant application deadline! 📆

Each year the Trust awards research grants to graduate students working on a Master’s thesis or PhD dissertation in a field related to the decorative arts. The Trust encourages projects that advance diversity in the study of American decorative arts. Although these grants are typically tied to summer research travel, we recognize that the pandemic may continue to delay these efforts and have removed the deadline by which the work must be completed.

Learn more via the link in our bio: https://decorativeartstrust.org/grants-and-scholarships/research-grants/.

Please share!

Pictured: Christine Garnier examining a soup tureen and candelabra from John Mackay’s Tiffany & Co. service at the W. M. Keck Museum at the University of Nevada, Reno.

@garnovia07⁠
@unevadareno⁠
#TrustEmergingScholars
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#History
#Grants
#Funding
#Research
#Education
#Scholar

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Apr 8

Open

We can’t go to Kentucky this month, but we can bring Kentucky to you! On April 15 at 1:00 pm ET, join a conversation with esteemed collector and historian Mack Cox as he presents “Tracking New England Footprints in Early Kentucky Furniture (1790-1820).” Trust members Mack and Sharon Cox have built an exceptional collection of Southern decorative arts that will be at the heart of this virtual dialogue.

Mack will discuss how early immigrant cabinetmakers crafted furniture in Kentucky in distinct styles that reflect their diverse origins. Focusing on the influence of New England cabinetmakers, Mack will be joined in conversation with Philip Zea, @HistoricDeerfield President and CEO, to expand the conversation on the myriad of influences that make Kentucky furniture so fascinating. Have your questions ready, as there will be a Q&A at the end of the program.

See the link in our bio to register for this Pay What You Can program: https://decorativeartstrust.org/cox-collection-dialogue/.

Pictured: Petite Work Table, Harrison County, KY.

#MackCox
#PhilipZea
#TrustVirtual
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#History
#Research
#Furniture
#Antiques
#AntiqueFurniture
#Kentucky
#Inlay

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Apr 7

Open

Did you know that humans have worked with jade for millennia? Cultures in China and Mesoamerica used jade for everything from paint brushes tiaras as a symbol of wealth and status.

See the link in our bio to learn more about Jade’s fascinating history in our exhibit review of Flint Institute of Arts’ ‘The Art of Jade’: https://decorativeartstrust.org/art-of-jade-post/.

Pictured: Bi Disk with Imperial Decoration, Western Han Dynasty, 206 BCE - 12 CE, Chinese. Jade. Gift of Genevieve and Richard Shaw, by exchange, FIA 2010.284.

@flintinstituteofarts
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#AsianArt
#ChineseArt
#Mesoamerica
#Jade
#Exhibition
#Museum
#MuseumFromHome

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Apr 6

Open

The Prize for Excellence and Innovation deadline is June 30! This $100,000 Prize funds outstanding projects that advance the public’s appreciation of decorative art, fine art, architecture, or landscape. The Prize will be awarded to a non-profit organization for a scholarly endeavor, such as museum exhibitions, print and digital publications, and online databases.

Link in bio: https://decorativeartstrust.org/prize

Pictured: 2020 Prize recipient @CraftinAmerica films Linda Sikora, potter and Professor of Ceramic Art/Division Head at Alfred University. Photo by Denise Kang.

#TrustPrize
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#Prize
#Award
#Funding
#Nonprofit
#Museum
#HistoricHome
#HouseMuseum
#Art
#Architecture
#LandscapeDesign
#History

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Apr 2

Open

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Mar 25

Open

“It’s hard to think of a scholar who has not been touched by what happens here at Winterthur.” Click the link in our bio to watch our latest virtual tour featuring decorative arts star @tomsavage1775.

In this photo, Tom shows off his imitation resit-dye face mask that was designed to match the upholstery of a wing-backed chair in Winterthur’s Hampton Room. During his heartfelt tour, Tom shares some of the most iconic rooms at Winterthur as well as the stories behind the incredible scholarship that makes the Winterthur collection so special.

@winterthurmuse
#TrustVirtual
#VirtualTour
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#SouthernFurniture
#Upholstery
#FaceMask
#ResistDye
#Chair
#Upholstery
#Textiles
#HamptonRoom

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Mar 24

Open

In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth, the Trust is featuring Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive’s retrospective of Rosie Lee Tompkins, brilliant quilter of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Click the link in our bio to check out our recent 'Bulletin' post for more about BAMPFA’s virtual exhibit and to read about how Tompkins’s works push us to think differently about authorship and material categorizations within the decorative arts: https://decorativeartstrust.org/tompkins-bampfa-post/.

Pictured: Rosie Lee Tompkins, ‘Untitled,’ circa 2004, quilted by Irene Bankhead. Eli Leon Bequest, BAMPFA.

@bampfa
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Artist
#Art
#Quilt
#Quilters
#QuiltLove
#Exhibition
#Museum

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Mar 22

Open

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Mar 19

Open

Our Blog is now the BULLETIN! We changed the name to better reflect depth and breadth of posts. Have you visited lately? Check out The Decorative Arts Trust Bulletin for stories about scholarship and research, exhibitions, books, and our past programs. Enjoy!

Link in bio: https://decorativeartstrust.org/bulletin/

Pictured: Detail of an armoire featured in the ‘A Material Culture Mystery: Cybèle Gontar on ‘“Chasing the Butterfly Man”’ post at https://decorativeartstrust.org/butterfly-man-post/. @cybelegontar

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Mar 18

Open

On March 26, 2021, at 3:00 pm ET the Decorative Arts Trust will host the first panel discussion in a two-part series on the Decorative Arts market. This first installment will focus on auction houses and feature Tim Andreadis, Division Director, Decorative Arts & Design, Freeman’s; Lauren Brunk, Vice President, Brunk Auctions; John Hays, Deputy Chairman, Christie’s; and Annie Wu, Director, Senior Specialist, Asian Art, Hindman, who will participate in an hour-long discussion on the evolving market for the decorative arts. These panelists will be led in conversation by moderator Taryn Clary, Cataloguer, 20th Century Design, Sotheby's.

From encouraging new collectors, to virtual auctions, to value in the marketplace, our colleagues are sure to generate a riveting conversation. We will also have some fun sharing stories from some remarkable professionals in the field. There will be a live Q&A at the end of the program, so come ready with questions!

Register for this pay what you can panel discussion at https://decorativeartstrust.org/march-2021-panel/. Link in bio! All registrants receive a recording of the program.

This event is sponsored by Freeman’s.

Pictured: Thomas Rowlandson, sketch of Christie's auction room for an illustration to Ackerman's "Microcosm of London,” 1757-1827. Pen and grey and brown ink and watercolour. The British Museum, 1899,0420.99.

@freemansauction
@brunkauctions
@christiesinc
@hindmanauctions
@sothebys
@timandreadis
@anniewu001
@tarynupmyheart14
#DecorativeArts
#Auctions
#BuyArt
#AuctionHouses
#PanelDiscussion
#TrustVirtual
#ArtHistory
#Art
#History
#Research

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Mar 17

Open

On March 9, the Trust had the pleasure of hosting a fascinating dialogue on The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s upcoming publication and exhibition, ‘Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co.’

Moira Gallagher, Research Associate for American Decorative Arts in the American Wing presented a wonderful lecture on Edward C. Moore and the impact of his collecting on both the amazing objects created by Tiffany & Co. silver division during the latter half of the 19th century and The Met’s collection. After her presentation, she was joined in conversation with Medill Higgins Harvey, Ruth Bigelow Wriston Associate Curator of American Decorative Arts and Manager of the Henry R. Luce Center, who is editor of ‘Collecting Inspiration.’

Read about this dialogue and watch the video using the link in our bio: https://decorativeartstrust.org/edward-c-moore-post/.

‘Collecting Inspiration Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co.’ will be available for purchase in the coming months. The timing of the exhibition is not yet set.

Pictured: Cover of ‘Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co.,’ a forthcoming publication that will be available for purchase this summer.

@metmuseum
@metamericanwing
#TrustVirtual
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#History
#Research
#MuseumFromHome
#Silver
#TiffanyAndCo
#EdwardCMoore

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Mar 16

Open

For #WomensHistoryMonth, we feature 20th-century textile artist Dorothy Liebes, with help from Sarah Mills, director of the Art Gallery at Westchester Community College, SUNY. Dorothy Liebes's work permanently shaped the field of modern industrial textile design in the United States. She studied weaving at Hull House in Chicago and made study trips to France, Italy, Guatemala, and Mexico to learn about traditional weaving forms. Her fabrics were known for their bold color combinations and interesting textures, and she often used unexpected materials such as feathers, plastics, metallics, jute, ticker tape, leather strips, and bamboo. Her education in applied design at the University of California, Berkley likely informed her approach to weaving. Whereas weavers in the 19th century served up textiles with elaborate pictorial designs or intricate geometric patterns, weavers in the mid-20th century created textural delight. This fabric sample pictured is silky and squishy to the touch. It may be the origins of our modern-day bathmat due to its softness, retractability, and use of mildew-proof materials. She was interested in using the technology of weaving in the design of functional objects, as indicated by her experimentation with new materials in prototype designs, such as the second image. Most weavers work out their designs in advance of weaving them on the loom, but the painting by Dorothy Liebes’s Studio in New York City (the third image pictured) is more than just a schematic blueprint of line and color. The smudgy waves of the crisscrossing lines (in contrast to thin, smooth ones) suggests that Liebes’s Studio was also thinking about texture and sculptural space (or spatial depth).

Image 1: Plastic cord, Lurex, and unidentified fibers, c. 1950s.
Image 2: Aluminum rods, Lurex, and chenille, c. 1950s.
Image 3: Paint, paper, 1952.
All photos taken by Sarah Mills of Dorothy Liebes resource materials held at the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institute.

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Mar 11

Open

Tom Savage, Director of External Affairs at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, will lead a textile-inspired tour of the most iconic rooms and objects at Winterthur on Thursday, March 18, at 1:00 pm ET. This tour is sure to be a ton of fun, as we visit old favorites from the Winterthur collection and gain new insight into the house’s evolution under Henry Francis du Pont and subsequent generations of curators. You won’t want to miss it!

Register for this Pay What You Can virtual tour at https://decorativeartstrust.org/winterthur-tour/. Link in bio!

@tomsavage1775
@ahinckle
@winterthurmuse
#DecorativeArts
#Textiles
#Winterthur
#Americana
#InteriorDesign
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#History
#Research

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Mar 10

Open

On March 17 at 7:30 pm ET, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts will feature three scholars during the virtual program Southern Pathways: Old Things in a New Light.

Southern Pathways, part of the #StudySouth Initiative, is a project to encourage and implement new ways of looking at the MESDA and Old Salem collections. Over the past five months three visiting curators, Michael J. Bramwell, Simiyha Garrison, and Robert Hunter, have explored the museum’s collections and crafted new narratives that embrace the diversity of the early South.

Southern Pathways is supported by William C. and Susan S. Mariner and the Decorative Arts Trust.

Register for this Pay What You Wish event at https://mesda.org/program/southern-pathways/.

Pictured:
Rice Fanning Basket
Made by a now-unknown woman enslaved at Cat Eye Plantation
Santee, South Carolina
1850-1860
Sweetgrass and white oak
DIA: 19 1/2
Trade courtesy of the Charleston Museum (5764.1)

@mesdagram
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#MuseumFromHome
#ArtHistory
#Art
#History
#Basket
#SouthCarolina

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Mar 9

Open

Congrats to the inaugural recipients of the Decorative Arts Trust’s IDEAL Internship Grants: the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University; The Historic New Orleans Collection and the Backstreet Cultural Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Newport Restoration Foundation!

Learn more about the IDEAL Internship Grant program at https://www.decorativeartstrust.org/ideal-internship-grant-recipients-2021-post/. *Link in bio*

Pictured: The Newport Restoration Foundation’s Whitehorne House Museum; Viktor Schreckengost, Jazz bowl, 1930-31. Glazed porcelain. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The John Axelrod Collection. Courtesy of the MFA; Mardi Gras Indian suit recently acquired by The Historic New Orleans Collection; Paul Peck Alumni Center at Drexel University.

@drexeluniv
@visit_thnoc
@backstreetculturalmuseum
@mfaboston
@nptrestoration
#TrustEmergingScholars
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#History
#Museums
#Nonprofits
#Internships
#Mentorship
#Grants

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Mar 8

Open

As part of our celebration of #WomensHistoryMonth, we will feature objects in the coming weeks that illustrate the talents of craftswomen and designers across the decorative arts spectrum. Although best known for her jewelry and metalwork, this box in The Met's collection is by the supremely talented, creative, and eclectic Marie Zimmermann (1879-1972). Designed with an Egyptian Revival flair, the skillfully carved and painted box incorporates gemstones, ivory, and plated silver. Zimmermann kept this box for herself, bequeathing it to her employee, Ida Egli, upon her death. Zimmermann's work is highly sought after by museums and collectors, and she was the subject of the 2012 monograph 'The Jewelry and Metalwork of Marie Zimmermann' by Deborah Dependahl Waters, Joseph Cunningham, Bruce Barnes, and Kimberley Ahara, who had devoted her master's thesis at Winterthur to the designer's career. The Trust is proud to sponsor curatorial internships, lectures, and research grants that bear the name Marie Zimmermann through the generosity of the foundation that was formed from her estate. Learn more about this object at https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/19037.

@metmuseum
@winterthurmuse
#MarieZimmermann
#DecorativeArts
#MaterialCulture
#ArtHistory
#Art
#Artist
#History
#Design
#MuseumFromHome
#ArtsAndCrafts
#Met5thAvenue
#MetFifthAvenue

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Mar 5

Open

ON THE ROAD AND ONLINE

Exploring the Charles and Ray Eames House

IN THE FIELD

GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS EMERGING SCHOLARS PROGRAM AND PRIZE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS UPCOMING TRIPS, LECTURES, AND PROGRAMS

ONLINE LEARNING RESEARCH FROM THE FIELD, EXHIBITIONS, BOOK REVIEWS, VIDEOS, AND PUZZLES

BULLETIN CURRENT REPORTS AND HAPPENINGS

Virtual Tour with Ralph Harvard

Virtual Dialogue with Alec Cobbe and Leslie Fitzpatrick

Prize For Excellence and Innovation

Critical Operations Support Fund

Membership with the Decorative Arts Trust

Collaboration, Partnership, and Support

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