Prize Celebration and Young Lecturers at 2022 Antiques Forum
For us, as for many of our colleagues, the last pre-pandemic hurrah we remember was Colonial Williamsburg’s Antiques Forum in late February 2020. After participating in a virtual Forum in 2021, we were excited to see “our people” in person again at Colonial Williamsburg’s 74th Annual Antiques Forum, this time with a special added event.
On Sunday, February 27, the Decorative Arts Trust was pleased to participate in an evening of scholarship and celebration. Margaret Pritchard introduced the three Carolyn and Michael McNamara Young Scholar Lecturers, sponsored by the Decorative Arts Trust. Kelly Fu, Lois McNeil Fellow in the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture presented Four Drawers, Four Stories: A Study of a Formerly Baltimore “Cabinet”; Alexandra Macdonald, PhD candidate at William & Mary, presented “To brighten every painful hour”: The Follet Family Sampler; and Emily Whitted, PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, presented Made in Germantown: Analysis of an Early American Frame-Knitting Industry. Colonial Williamsburg kindly shared recordings of these lectures with us.
Michael McNamara, Kelly Fu, Emily Whitted, Alexandra Macdonald, and Carolyn McNamara.
Following the lectures, Decorative Arts Trust Executive Director Matthew Thurlow introduced the 2021 recipients of the Prize for Excellence and Innovation, the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive (BCDA). BCDA Co-Directors Tiffany Momon, PhD, and Torren Gatson, PhD, each delivered moving speeches while accepting this prestigious recognition. Established in 2020, the first Prize was awarded to the Los Angeles-based Craft in America via a virtual celebration. The Forum presentation was the Trust’s first opportunity to celebrate the Prize in person. Those who were not able to attend can view the presentation recording.
Torren Gatson, PhD and Tiffany Momon, PhD from the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive (2021 Prize recipient) with Trust Executive Director Matthew Thurlow.
Sunday evening’s events were topped off by a lovely reception for those who attended the Prize presentation.
Overall, it was another thrilling Forum, with dozens of informative lectures and opportunities for Trust members to mingle. We look forward to another fantastic Forum in 2023!
About The Decorative Arts Trust Bulletin
Formerly known as the "blog,” the Bulletin features new research and scholarship, travelogues, book reviews, and museum and gallery exhibitions. The Bulletin complements The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust, our biannual members publication.