BEHIND THE VAULT From Revolutionary War pamphlets to an original Picasso to Katharine Hepburn’s Broadway duds, Boca Raton and its surroundings are flush with cultural, historical and artistic artifacts. Discover the treasures from the keepers who tend to them. Written by Tyler Childress, Christiana Lilly and John Thomason Photography by Andrew Millar
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AT THE BOCA MUSEUM formative etching by Edward Hopper, circa 1915, of a lonely figure staring out a bedroom window. A wispy Modigliani graphite portrait from the same era, the artist’s iconic almond-shaped eyes and elongated face barely visible on the paper canvas. A 1906-vintage drawing that Picasso sketched of his first mistress, Fernande Olivier, who looks restful—and not at all cubist—in tender charcoal. “She was with him before he became famous,” says Curator Kellie Bodle.“This drawing, it looks like
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he drew it with love. It is a beloved piece by our staff and members.” These are just a few of the invaluable highlights of the Boca Raton Museum of Art’s permanent collection, a treasure trove that has grown to about 4,500 works since the museum’s inception 75 years ago. These pieces and many more are on display through Oct. 25 as part of the museum’s “Legacy: Mayers and Friedman Collections.” Drawing from the donated works of two collecting couples, the diverse exhibition includes what is believed to be the first pinup photo, of a bikinied Betty Grable shot by photographer Frank Powolni in 1942.“I like it, because it shows the wear and tear of men rolling
bocamag.com • • • • February 2025
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