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Recent Acquisitions Releases Press Release Archive  |
Decorative Arts Expert Spotlights Williford Collection for Spring Lecture Series Opener TYLER, TX—An acclaimed author and internationally recognized authority on American decorative arts will launch the Tyler Museum of Art’s 2009 Spring Lecture Series, as the TMA welcomes Dr. Charles Venable of the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday, Jan. 25. The program is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Jean Browne Theatre at Tyler Junior College, located directly across from the TMA on South Mahon Avenue. Admission is free for Museum members, and costs $5 for non-members. Seating is limited, so reservations are requested by calling (903) 595-1001. Venable’s lecture, titled “Silver in America, 1840-1940: A Century of Splendor,” will spotlight the history of opulent 19th-century silver and decorative art pieces such as those featured in the TMA exhibition The Elegant House: Paintings & Decorative Art from the Graham Williford Collection. “Dr. Venable’s vast experience in the study of decorative arts, particularly in the exhaustive research he devoted to his books, such as Silver in America, and his familiarity with the Graham Williford collection, make him an ideal speaker to open this year’s Spring Lecture Series,” TMA Director Kimberley Bush Tomio said. “It’s hard to find many scholars in the art world with a more insightful voice on the topic, so he’s the perfect guest to help us celebrate the last few weeks of this extraordinary exhibition.”Venable joined the Speed Art Museum as its Director and CEO in 2007, bringing more than 20 years of museum experience to his new post. For the previous five years he had served as deputy director for collections and programs at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), overseeing multiple departments including curatorial, education and exhibitions. Prior to his work in Cleveland, Venable was at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) from 1986 to 2002. Rising from the post of assistant curator to deputy director, he helped build the DMA’s collection of American decorative art and design, especially in the area of silver, into one of the finest in the country. He also organized numerous exhibitions, and gained a reputation as a scholar by editing and writing several well-respected publications. Venable is the only scholar to receive both the distinguished Charles F. Montgomery Award and the Montgomery Prize, being awarded the former for his 1989 book, American Furniture in the Bybee Collection, and the latter for his 1994 publication, Silver in America, 1840-1940: A Century of Splendor. His 2000 text, China and Glass in America, 1880-1980, was widely acclaimed for its scholarly contribution to the decorative arts field and for its accessible style. A native Texan, Venable holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University, an M.A. in Fine and Decorative Art from the University of Delaware, and a B.A. in American History and Art History (cum laude) from Rice University. Those attending Venable’s program will have the opportunity to meet the speaker and tour The Elegant House during a reception immediately following the lecture at the TMA, 1300 S. Mahon Ave. Admission to the exhibition and reception are free to the public. Support for The Elegant House is provided by the Jean and Graham Devoe Williford Charitable Trust. Additional sponsors for the exhibition are TMA Collectors’ Circle members Sheryl Rogers Palmer, Bill Pirtle, and the A.W. Riter, Jr. Family Foundation. 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. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. (The Museum is closed Mondays and major holidays.) Lunch is available in the Museum Café from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and the TMA Gift Shop is open during exhibition hours. For more information, call (903) 595-1001 or visit www.tylermuseum.org. |