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TMA Celebrates The Elegant House With Free Family Day Dec. 14

TYLER, TX—As part of the Tyler Museum of Art’s celebration of the holiday season, the Museum invites visitors of all ages to experience its new exhibition, The Elegant House: Paintings & Decorative Art from the Graham Williford Collection, with a free Family Day on tap from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.

The program, open to the public at no cost, will include a self-guided tour of the exhibition showcasing an array of 19th-century decorative arts and paintings from the collection of the late Graham Devoe Williford, the pioneering American art connoisseur and scholar from Fairfield, Texas.

Adults are encouraged to join the younger visitors as they search for familiar images among the artwork (a turkey, an alligator, and a cat named Sardine among them) during a family gallery search, and take part as kids try their hands at creating their own decorative objects with art activities in the TMA classroom. Light snacks will be provided.

“We host these special days four times a year, and they’re a popular way of bringing families together for a memorable day at the Museum,” TMA Head of Education Katie Powell said. “This exhibition is especially fun for a Family Day program, with its beautiful collection of objects that could be found in a 19th-century home—and great conversation starters such as Victor Brenner’s original bronze design for the Lincoln head penny.”

Space for Family Day is limited, so participants are encouraged to sign up early by calling (903) 595-1001 on or before Friday, Dec. 12.

Support for The Elegant House is provided by the Graham Williford Foundation for American Art. Additional support for the exhibition is provided by TMA Collectors’ Circle members Sheryl Rogers Palmer, Bill Pirtle, and the A.W. Riter Jr. Family Foundation. The exhibition continues through Feb. 8, 2009 in the TMA’s Bell Gallery.

AZTEC NATIVITY

As an added attraction for the holiday season, the TMA will feature an Aztec Nativity (“El Nacimiento con Aztecas”) by famed Mexican artist Zenon Martinez Garcia, on exhibit in the Museum lobby beginning Dec. 10.

Part of the Laura and Dan Boeckman Collection of Mexican and Latin American Folk Art, the 1999 nativity set is reminiscent of a traditional scene from the 16th century and depicts the birth of Jesus with the regional character of the artist’s native village in the Jalisco state, said Stephen Vollmer, TMA adjunct curator for Mexican and Latin American Folk Art. The nativity will remain available for viewing through Dec. 30.

The Tyler Museum of Art, accredited by the American Association of Museums, is located at 1300 S. Mahon Ave., adjacent to the Tyler Junior College campus off East Fifth Street. For more information, call (903) 595-1001 or visit www.tylermuseum.org.

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