each places the other in a richer, deeper context. They tell stories of people and cultures now gone and connect us with the roots of our shared humanity.
There is no sharp distinction between art and armor. The 4,000 year old corinthian helmets, the 2,000 year old gladiator helmet and the armors and weapons from Asia, india and europe are objects of beauty and symbols of status as much as tools of war.
Knights! Opening Party
Renaissance Faire Weekend
Saturday, March 29 / 10am - 5pm
Left: Northwestern european, Composite Armor, late 16th-early Above: Stefan rormoser of innsbruck, Armor for field and tilt, of count Franz von 17th century, steel, 73 lb. 8 oz., The John woodman Higgins Teuffenbach, detail, 1554, steel, brass, lampblack, with modern leather, 181.6 x 78 Armory collection, H.1000.1-16. Woman at her Toilette, School cm (57 lb. 5 oz.), The John woodman Higgins Armory collection, Higgins Armory of Fontainebleau, 1550-1570, oil on panel, 111.8 x 87.6 cm, Museum, H.2630.1-16 / School of Madrid, Portrait of a Young Noblewoman with the Museum purchase, 1932.23 Initials LVSS (or IVSS), detail, about 1630, oil on canvas, 203 xw114.9 cm orce S T(79 e r15/16 A r T. o r g x 45 1/4 in.), Museum purchase, 1913.43
Sunday, March 30 / 11am - 5pm
This spring, visitors will be able to stand in the shadow of a knight and his steed, compare the Flemish Portrait of a Woman (1556) with her high fashion chainmail-like accessories to a threequarter armor from 1610 and hear stories reflecting the culture and history of an indian Zulfiqar sword from the 1800s. plus, visitors will discover innovative and experimental programming for children and families that combine art, history, and exciting hands-on education. Kids might even be able to create their own legend or design a new batmobile—stay tuned!
Community Day sponsored by Unibank
The pulitzer center on crisis reporting is collaborating with the museum to introduce an installation within Knights! that explores the real world ramifications of using arms and armor. The first grouping of work explores the tragedy associated with ongoing gang violence in the United States and Latin America.
Friday, March 28 / 8-11pm (7 - 8pm Members only)
Knights! will pair Higgins collection artifacts and armor with current wAM artworks to tell the fascinating stories of arms and armor from around the world, throughout history, and in relation to contemporary times and pop culture. “once you start looking at arms and armor and knights, you realize how deeply our culture is permeated with these influences,” says Marcia Lagerwey, Head of education.
Sponsored by Fallon community Health plan and Saint-gobain with additional support from imperial distributors, inc.
Swords, sabers, breastplates. Knights at a round table. chivalry. Love and war. gang violence. Batman. opening on March 29, 2014, the Knights! exhibition at the worcester Art Museum will reveal the remarkable connections between these divergent objects and themes. Using the encyclopedic holdings of the worcester Art Museum as context, this exhibition will present the best of the renowned Higgins collection in an innovative visitor experience. “The integration of the Higgins collection creates an exciting opportunity for the Museum to transform the way we share art with the public, particularly with children and families,” says Matthias waschek, worcester Art Museum director.
Media Sponsors:
Knights!
Sponsored in part by cole contracting, inc.. and Unum.
The Higgins collection is more than knights in shining armor. it tells stories that range from Scheherazade to the Samurai and from Beowulf to Shakespeare. This is a landmark that few institutions anywhere have ever achieved. it represents the “can do” side of worcester at its best and secures a cultural asset that cannot be replicated by other institutions anywhere at any price. – Jim donnelly, Board president, Higgins Armory Museum
Knights!
The combination [of Higgins and wAM] gives new meaning to both collections.