Wamaccesswinter2015

access WORCESTER ART MUSEUM magazine winter issue 2015

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Contents

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From the Director

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Master Series

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The Madonna mystery

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Samurai!

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Uncanny Japan

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A Knights! refresh

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New curatorial staff

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Africa’s Children of Arms

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Flora in Winter – behind the scenes

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Spotlight on studio art classes

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A destination wedding

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Membership

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Tours and programs

Cover: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Delighted: the Appearance of a Present-Day Geisha of the Meiji Era (detail), 1888, ink and color on paper, Harriet B. Bancroft Fund, 2003.114 Inside front cover: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Fujiwara no Yasumasa Playing the Flute by Moonlight (detail), 1882, hanging scroll, ink, color, lacquer, silver, and gold on silk, Stoddard Acquisition Fund, 2004.46

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From the Director

As you can see, our access magazine has taken on a new look, which complements a recent “refresh” of our website. As our activities continue to increase, it has become more important than ever to develop a consistent message and complementary look in our digital communications, such as the website (which we update constantly), and our printed materials. You can see another example of this in our FY14 annual report, available to be read, downloaded, and printed from www.worcesterart.org/director.

When visiting our website and in the pages that follow, please take a moment to view this year’s exciting slate of exhibitions. As Knights! continues to be upgraded until the permanent galleries are ready, our exhibition schedule for the next several months takes us from the Renaissance, with Raphael’s The Small Cowper Madonna, to Japan with two fascinating, but completely different perspectives on the samurai, to Africa with an exhibition of photographs depicting the haunted lives of present-day child combatants, and finally back to Central Massachusetts with a show of one of the finest private collections of American folk art.

As we continue to experiment with exhibitions and programs to engage and grow our audiences, please let us know how we are doing. What is working and what else would you like to see us try here at WAM? Share your thoughts on one of our visitor survey iPads, located throughout the Museum. Also, do get back to us about the new web and redesigned access magazine. We would love to hear from you via marketing@worcesterart.org!

WORCESTER ART MUSEUM

Board of Trustees FY15 Matthias Waschek

Catherine M. Colinvaux, President Phyllis Pollack, Vice President Marie Angelini, Vice President John Savickas, Vice President Joseph J. Bafaro, Jr., Treasurer Karin Branscombe, Clerk Herbert S. Alexander James E. Collins Susan M. Foley Gabriele M. Goszcz Abraham Haddad Rachel Kaminsky William D. Kelleher, Jr. Lisa Kirby Gibbs Patricia S. Lotuff Lisa H. McDonough Philip R. Morgan Marc S. Plonskier Clifford J. Schorer Matthias Waschek (Ex-officio)

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Introducing the Master Series

T H I R D T H U R S D AY S

MASTER SERIES hosted by worcester art museum

members council The Worcester Art Museum’s Master Series offers a new way to look closely at one or two works by six signature artists. Exhibited in different galleries throughout the Museum, these intimate displays allow for contemplation and study of some of the world’s most celebrated artists.

Each mini-exhibition is accompanied by a special Master Series Third Thursday event, hosted by the WAM Members Council, allowing you to learn even more about these signature artists and works.

Enjoy an art talk related to one of the featured artists, plus music, cash bar, cheese and crackers – and the company of other art enthusiasts! Free with Museum admission.

Anthony van Dyck, Portrait of a Nobleman (detail), 1619, oil on wood, © The Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium

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William Hogarth Portraits of William James and Elizabeth James Through February 8, 2015

Norman Rockwell Study for “The Nightwatchman” Through February 8, 2015

Raphael The Small Cowper Madonna January 24 - September 27, 2015

Anthony van Dyck Portrait of a Nobleman March 14 through October 11, 2015 Rembrandt The Three Musicians and The Stone Operation Through August 2015

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Fujiwara no Yasumasa Playing the Flute by Moonlight February 28 - May 24, 2015

The 2014-15 Master Series Programs Hosted by the WAM Members Council

Thursday, February 19, 6pm Raphael: Raphael scholar Linda WolkSimon sheds light on this Renaissance master.

Thursday, March 19, 6pm Portrait of a Nobleman: Matthew Cushman, project conservator at Yale University, and Jon Seydl, director of curatorial affairs and curator of European art, discuss what conservation has revealed about this painting by Anthony van Dyck.

Thursday, April 16, 6pm Rembrandt and Fallibility: Jon Seydl, director of curatorial affairs and curator of European art, shares insights on two early works by the Dutch master.

Thursday, May 21, 6pm Fujiwara no Yasumasa Playing the Flute by Moonlight Composer Shirish Korde speaks about the different types of historical Japanese flutes. Flutist Alice Jones performs three musical pieces, including Korde's famed The Tenderness of Cranes.

Philanthropy Spotlight:

What is your “Master Work?”

Most of us have a favorite work of art in the WAM collection, a piece that speaks to us in a special way and that we return to again and again. At our gala auction in June 2014, we invited guests to think about their favorite WAM work of art and bid on the opportunity to “adopt” that work for a year with their name on the label. We’re delighted that longtime Museum supporters, Chris and Cathy Collins and Warner and Mary Fletcher, won this unique auction item and will be recognized alongside their chosen pieces for the next year. Below, Chris and Cathy Collins pose with their children in front of their chosen “Master Work.”

Bernardo Strozzi The Calling of Saint Matthew

In honor of our children Sarah A. Collins and Daniel P. Collins and their dear friends Anthony Perry and Carolyn Henderson Adopted by J. Christopher and Catherine Collins

We chose this painting, because it so perfectly captures the spirit of St. Matthew at the moment he refocuses his life away from the material pursuit of money and instead begins a journey where he dedicates himself to a deeper and more lasting pursuit of faith.

The painting is remarkable because the Christ figure is not at the center of the painting. Instead, it is the hand of Christ that takes center stage, a hand which echoes the hand of God painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. WAM is filled with inspiration of one kind or another in every gallery and on every visit. It is a special privilege to be able to honor our children with this sponsorship of The Calling of Saint Matthew.

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Master of the Northbrook Madonna, The Virgin and Child, Early 1500’s, oil on wood, Theodore T. and Mary G. Ellis Collection, 1940.39.

Unfolding a Madonna mystery at WAM The loan of Raphael’s The Small Cowper Madonna from Washington’s National Gallery of Art from January 24 through September 27, 2015, provides a rare opportunity to study our own Northbrook Madonna and perhaps uncover the mystery of who painted it. Here Jon L. Seydl, director of curatorial affairs and curator of European Art, interviews Raphael scholar Linda Wolk-Simon about the two works.

JLS: While I think everyone would agree that Raphael’s painting is incredibly beautiful, it might not be so obvious why this painting is so significant. What makes this work so interesting and important?

LW-S: Raphael’s The Small Cowper Madonna is striking for the way he endows a sacred subject with the gloss of reality.

Portrayed as though they are ordinary beings, the holy figures share a tender, touching intimacy that makes them seem convincingly human: at first glimpse this appears to be a lovely young mother, lost in wistful reverie, holding a plump baby who clamors to stand in her lap. Adding to the impression that this is a believable, if idealized, tableau is the atmospheric landscape with gently rolling hills and graceful trees, bathed in a warm, enveloping light, that recedes into the distance. Rising on a hillock at the right is a handsome Renaissance church, San Bernardino, the burial place of the dukes of

Urbino. This telling topographical detail indicates that Raphael must have painted the picture for someone in his native city rather than for a patron in Florence, where he worked for much of the time during the period when this work was created. The church is also a clue that, for all its engaging naturalism, this is a devotional image with a religious meaning. Conveyed in the Madonna’s expression of sad resignation is her foreknowledge of the future Passion and death that her infant son, Redeemer of mankind, will suffer.

JLS: You’ve spent some time studying Worcester’s painting, which was once attributed to Raphael, and is now given to a much more open-ended Master of the Northbrook Madonna. What do you hope to learn from seeing WAM’s picture next to the National Gallery’s painting? To what should our visitors pay special attention when they compare the paintings?

LW-S: Some early scholars believed that the Northbrook Madonna was wholly or in part Raphael, a view that has not been upheld in more recent literature devoted to the artist. New information on the underdrawing beneath the paint layer of the Northbrook Madonna that modern, non-invasive technology allows us to see—hidden evidence that can be compared with the extensive underdrawing of the The Small Cowper Madonna—will be of prime importance to this investigation

< Raphael, The Small Cowper Madonna, about 1505, oil on panel, The National Gallery of Art, Widener collection. © National Gallery of Art, D.C., all rights reserved.

of the Worcester Madonna’s authorship.

Technical imaging aside, viewers should look closely and comparatively at the details—the typologies of the faces of the Madonna and Child, the complexity of their poses and the rhythm of the overall compositions, the facility with which form and volume are rendered and light and landscape described, the sense of emotional or psychological connection between the figures—or its lack—and ask themselves if they see the same confident mind and hand operating in both. We might also ponder whether Raphael could have designed the Worcester Art Museum’s picture but allowed someone else to paint part or all of it. If it’s not by Raphael, as scholars today maintain, we need to ask who among his close associates and artistic collaborators around the year 1505 might have executed this most Raphaelesque of works.

Read how The Small Cowper Madonna got its name at worcesterart.org/ exhibitions/raphael-the-cowper-madonna/ Master Series Third Thursday Thursday, February 19, 6pm Hear Linda Wolk-Simon speak in person about Raphael’s The Small Cowper Madonna and what it can tell us about our own Northbrook Madonna.

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Samurai!

April 18 - September 6, 2015

Discover the samurai in history and popular culture in WAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting new exhibition, Samurai!, on view from April 18 through September 6, 2015. Guest curator Eric Nakamura brings together Japanese and American artists and illustrators, including Kozyndan, Katsuya Terada, Miya Ando, Mu Pan, and Kent Williams, to explore the present-day fascination with samurai.

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The exhibition includes more than 70 intricately designed objects that illustrate the flourishing culture that existed in Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly militaristic samurai society, as well as the importance of art in daily Japanese life. Interspersed throughout the exhibition, contemporary works highlight modern-day perceptions of samurai as mythic figures and a continual source of inspiration for generations of artists.

Funding for Samurai! has been provided in part by a generous grant from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

Mu Pan, The Loyal 47 Ronin (detail), watercolor on paper, 2011, Private collection Š Mu Pan, used with permission

Samurai! Opening Party

Friday, April 17 Members only: 7-8pm General public: 8-11pm Members $10 / nonmembers $20

Experience the old world meeting the new in this whirlwind celebration of traditional samurai arms & armor, on view alongside the work of contemporary artists that have been inspired by its history. Japanese taiko drummers set the tone for the evening, which is packed with performances, theatrics, and more.

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The making of Samurai!

Adam Rozan interviews Eric Nakamura

ERIC NAkAMURA, a third generation Japanese-American, is editor and founder of Giant Robot Magazine, a bi-monthly magazine of Asian and Asian American popular culture. He built on the success of Giant Robot with stores in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco selling imported Japanese art goods and exhibiting works by up-and-coming artists.

Nakamura has curated three Giant Robot Biennales at the Japanese American National Museum, which honored him in 2006 with an Award for Excellence. In 2014, he curated the Oakland Museum of Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibition SuperAwesome: Art and Giant Robot, which drew record attendance. Currently, Nakamura runs the Giant Robot store and GR2 gallery in West Los Angeles.

Adam Rozan, director of audience engagement, has been working closely with Eric Nakamura, along with other staff members, to create the Samurai! exhibition. Below are the answers to five questions he asked the guest curator about the project.

AR: How would you describe Samurai!

EN: The project is a hybrid of history and a re-interpretation of history from a contemporary art filter. I've made efforts to include different aspects of samurai culture that will celebrate the humanity and the savagery, while also touching upon artisanship and family values. It will undoubtedly be the first exhibition of its kind.

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AR: Why is this project unusual?

EN: Samurai exhibitions typically focus on historical objects and art to tell a story.

We're telling the story with contemporary art and an ambitious gallery design. The combination of new and old, contemporary and historical, will cross cultures and generations. It will also be fun, which could be unusual on its own.

AR: Why were you interested in curating an exhibition about samurai?

EN: It's been about 150 years since the samurai class became part of the everyday work force in Japan. Their existence as a class is fascinating and cool throughout modern popular culture.

I descend from a farmer class family, which is quite common, since many parts of Japan are agrarian. Growing up, you wanted to hear that your family was from a samurai class, since "farming" is as boring as can be. Yet, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anyone who could boast that their family was from a "samurai" class. But I do have an uncle who once studied bushi-do (swordsmanship). I would watch him painstakingly take his swords apart to clean them. He'd make our entire family sit far from his demonstrations of slicing through multiple phone books. I always thought he was a modern day samurai.

AR: Samurai, like ninjas, have come to represent how we in contemporary American culture view historical Japan.

How and why did that happen?

EN: Japanese contemporary popular culture in the United States is heavily steeped in samurai movies by Akira Kurosawa. Rashomon was released in 1950 to high acclaim, and samurai became part of what many know of "cool" Japanese history. The comic book series Usagi Yojimbo came soon afterwards.

Today, you can still watch contemporary samurai films, and many have followed the Hollywood trend of vulnerable characters. Pop culture is fun and enjoyable even within its limitations.

AR: What experience do you hope people will have when viewing Samurai!

EN: I hope visitors have a transformative experience from the moment they walk into the gallery. They will see a new side of illustrative contemporary art that Giant Robot has helped build, and the setting itself will, hopefully, be a culture shock.

The works will have aggressive moments and contemplative ones, too. I hope viewers leave with a fresh viewpoint of samurai.

Helmutt’s House gets a makeover!

With the opening of Samurai!, Helmutt’s House gets a new look. The room’s dog-themed paintings will be temporarily replaced with comic drawings of Usagi Yojimbo, a rabbit ronin (a samurai with no lord or master), illustrated by Stan Sakai. Look for Helmutt dressed as a samurai clad in Japanese armor, try on some armor yourself, read about these ancient warriors in books, have fun with hands-on activities –- and even learn to speak a little Japanese!

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Soul of the samurai

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he katana, the iconic sword of Japanese tradition, is often described as the soul of the samurai, and certainly it embodies the lethal ferocity we associate with Japan’s legendary warriors.

But if we are looking for a window into the samurai soul, it may be the sword fittings that have more to tell us. The katana and its scabbard were fitted with metal components that served various practical purposes: the koiguchi to protect the mouth of the scabbard; the kojiri to protect its tip; the menuki that nestled inside the swordsman’s palms. But perhaps most important was the tsuba, the iron hand-guard at the base of the blade.

The tsuba and other fittings had to be fully functional in the grueling environment of combat, but they also served as part of the owner’s strategy of self-identification to the world, reflecting his taste, sophistication, and public persona. They were removable to facilitate cleaning of the blade: this also allowed the samurai to trade in a new set to suit a particular occasion, or to keep up with changing tastes and fashions.

Early tsubas tended to be simpler in design, often relying on openwork adornment akin to the middle example above. During the peace of the Edo period, the tsuba as art form became increasingly complex and refined, evoking naturalistic, mythological, and poetic themes in moods that ranged from serene to whimsical. Shoki, the demon queller, shown here crossing a stream with the aid of a subservient imp, derives from the legendary Chinese hero Zhong Kui. The deer bellowing at the moon evokes autumnal themes found in many haiku, and would have been especially suited for a samurai’s fall wardrobe—it might also be a sardonic comment on his romantic status, as the deer who bellows under the autumn moon is the one who has not yet found a mate.

See these and other tsubas in Samurai!

April 18 through September 26, 2015.

Above: (left to right): Tsuba Decorated with Bamboo (1776.237), Tsuba (2014.535), Tsuba decorated with Deer (1976.239) Opposite: Japanese, Tsuba: Demon Leading a Mule with the Demon Queller Shoki, 19th Century, Bequest of Mildred Marcus Levin and Harold Lester Levin, 1976.234

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Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Objects Conservation Marlene Yandrisevits cleans an articulated lobster (2014.609) from the John Woodman Higgins Collection.

Metalwork to make you smile During times of war throughout history, Japanese armorers were kept busy crafting suits of armor and weapons for samurai warriors. In times of peace, such as the Edo period from 1603 – 1868, however, they turned some of their attention to less militaristic activities, including creating amazing jizai okimono animals. These realistically-shaped figures made from iron, copper, and non-iron alloys were fully articulated and moved like real animals. Among the most common figures were birds, fishes, snakes, lobsters, crabs, and insects, as well as imaginary beings such as dragons.

Two such pieces, a spiny lobster and dragon, now in the Worcester Art Museum collection as part of the Higgins Integration, will be shown in the Samurai! exhibition.

These tour de force works were displayed

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at the Higgins Armory Museum as examples of the versatility of the metalworker’s skill. For the first time, these extraordinary figures are being closely examined and studied in the Worcester Art Museum conservation laboratory.

Made of numerous hammered plates joined inside the body, the lobster bends, and the eyes, antennae, limbs, fins and legs move – just like the real animal. The dragon’s scaled body and tail undulate, and its clawed legs move to strike like a fierce reptilian monster. The accurately represented spines, scales, joints, and textured surfaces were created by such highly skilled and precise techniques that the actual construction is nearly invisible.

“What is so beautiful is that the surface is so finely finished and natural-looking that

you can’t tell how they were constructed,” says Marlene Yandrisevits, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Objects Conservation, who is giving each piece a routine cleaning and treatment prior to their going on exhibit. The painstaking process includes removing the original wax coating by hand and gently reducing minor corrosion using brushes and tiny scalpels. Finally, she will apply a new coat of wax to prevent future oxidation to the finely detailed surface.

In contrast to the images of combat in Samurai! and the accompanying Uncanny Japan: The Art of Yoshitoshi, these whimsical pieces reveal the underlying humanity and love of art in the samurai armorers. “It seems like there was a lot of joy put into making these figures,” says Marlene. “I hope visitors will enjoy looking at them as much as I have.”

Spring Community Day

Cherry Blossom Festival Sunday, March 22, 11am-5pm

Experience the grace and beauty of Japan as we celebrate the start of spring with our Cherry Blossom Festival Community Day. Join us for Japanese-themed music, games, art making, performances, and more!

While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here, view exquisite examples of Japanese art, including a screen from the Edo Period (1615 - 1868) depicting pines and plum blossoms (on view January 28 - May 3) and 19th-century artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s magnificent prints and paintings (on view February 28 - May 24).

Free with Museum admission.

Sponsored by

Japanese, Cherry Flowers and Oriental Bullfinches, about 1900, woodblock print, John Chandler Bancroft Collection, 1901.59.3066

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Uncanny Japan: The Art of Yoshitoshi February 28 – May 24, 2015 / Prints, Drawings, and Photographs Gallery TSUkIOkA YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892) is remembered as one of the greatest designers of the Japanese woodblock print at a time when the medium was facing increasing competition from photography and lithography. Uncanny Japan features a variety of the artist’s most appealing works – images of horror and cruelty, supernatural creatures, commanding acts of bravery by legendary figures from Japanese history, images of samurai, and sensitive portraits of contemporary women. The exhibition will draw special attention to his masterpiece, the scroll painting Fujiwara no Yasumasa Playing the Flute by Moonlight (1882), one of the great works of Japanese art in the Worcester Art Museum, and indeed any American collection. Uncanny Japan also includes three paintings by the artist, which are quite rare since he worked primarily in woodblock prints.

Understanding the Artist

Yoshitoshi’s tumultuous life and work mirror one of the most transformative periods in Japanese history – the change from a feudal to modern society emulating Western ways of government and social conduct. Uncanny Japan opens a window into his life and artistic trajectory, which became increasingly retrospective in his final decade, reinforcing this sense of Yoshitoshi as an artist living between two eras. His works, composed with a great deal of individuality, are a vivid timeline revealing the change from frenetic, dynamic images of his youth to emotionally charged subjects of his later years.

As Japan was rapidly changing, the medium of the woodblock print, in which Yoshitoshi had been trained, was becoming outdated in the face of new, modern, reproduction techniques, and

A focus on paper conservation

Eliza Spaulding

Preparing the vibrant prints by 19th-century Japanese artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi to be exhibited in Uncanny Japan: The Art of Yoshitoshi is one of the first projects Eliza Spaulding has completed since joining the WAM conservation team in April 2014. Her appointment to the Paper Conservator position, which had been vacant since 2008, signals a renewed commitment to conserving the Museum’s 23,000 works on paper that include prints, drawings and photographs. In addition to treating works on paper, which represent nearly twothirds of the entire WAM collection, Eliza will monitor the condition of these works and initiate technical studies to enhance our knowledge of their materials and manufacture, among other responsibilities.

struggling for relevance in representing the changing urban landscape of Japan.

Yoshitoshi’s designs often make use of new chemical dyes, such as striking reds and purples, which were newly synthesized and applied to this traditional practice.

Restrictions from the Shogunate-ruled era that forbade artists from producing designs that showed members of the ruling class were lifted in the 1870s. Thus, Yoshitoshi’s many depictions of contemporary events reveal the changing artistic environment of his age and new attitudes about the domain of “art.” Having successfully navigated these seismic cultural changes, as well as survived periods of illness and financial stress, the artist was extremely well known and had a large number of students by the time of his death at age 53.

– Katherine Brooks, Guest Curator

Prior to joining the Worcester Art Museum, Eliza was the Andrew W. Mellon Fellow and the Samuel H. Kress Fellow in Paper Conservation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In addition, she has held positions or completed her training at twelve other museums and private conservation businesses, including the Library of Congress, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. She holds a BA with Honors in Art History from Wesleyan University and an Advanced Certificate in Conservation and MA in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.

Learn more about conservation at the Worcester Art Museum at worcesterart.org/ collection/conservation/

Opposite: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Inanmura-ga-Saki Moon at Daybreak: Nitta Yoshisada, 1886, woodblock print, ink and color on paper, Alexander M. Bullock Fund, 2002.195

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A Knights! “refresh”

A

round the time John Woodman Higgins opened his museum in 1931, he acquired a number of objects from the London dealer Cyril Andrade that catapulted his collection into one of the most significant American repositories of ancient arms and armor.

Without doubt, the helmet for a gladiator was the most important of the Andrade purchases – one of only three such helmets known to be in the Americas, and indeed one of only a handful outside of Italy.

Gladiatorial combats were carefully managed to maximize the drama of the bloody spectacle. The fights were asymmetric, pitting a heavily armored combatant (slow but well protected) against one who was less armored (quicker but more vulnerable). The arms were often fantasy versions of historical types based on the various peoples of the Roman world.

This helmet evidently was made for a hoplomachus, a heavily armored combatant whose equipment was loosely inspired by the Greek heavy infantryman, or hoplite. He carried a long spear and short sword, and, in addition to the helmet, he had a padded sleeve on his sword-arm, a small round shield, padded trousers, and bronze shin-guards. His torso was left uncovered to heighten the danger and drama of the fight.

This helmet originally had a pair of cheek guards that buckled under the chin, and probably a face-guard.

The relatively thin bronze has led some scholars to believe that it might have been made purely for ceremony.

Even without the missing components, however, the weight is about 5 lbs.,

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approaching the upper limit of what is practical for a combatant on foot. Just like those for combat, ordinary gladiatorial helmets were designed to be visually impressive; this example originally had a horsehair crest along the comb, and the bronze was a brilliant gold color, making the wearer seem like some sort of fantasy action hero—though the blood and death were very real.

See the helmet for a gladiator just outside the Knights! exhibition on the second floor.

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he newest addition to the Knights! exhibition is a bronze sculpture of Joan of Arc in armor, loaned by the Art Institute of Chicago. Joan’s meteoric career has fascinated the imaginations of both artists and the public since she first entered history in 1429 around the age of 17. Disguised as a male soldier, she journeyed from Domrémy to Chinon to visit the Dauphin—the uncrowned Charles VII of France—to tell him of her divine visions for the liberation of France from the English invaders. The Dauphin arranged the making of a suit of armor for her, so that she could join the French army. Together they rode to Orléans to lead French forces in lifting the English siege of the city, opening the way for Charles’ coronation at Rheims before the year was out.

But in 1430, Joan was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English, who tried her for heresy in 1431. The efforts of the examiners failed to entrap the girl on any point of theology, and in the end the tribunal condemned her to death for her use of male attire.

Helmet for a Gladiator, Roman Empire, about 1st century C.E., bronze, 5lb. 4 oz., John Woodman Higgins Collection, 2014.115

The earliest known image of Joan, a sketch of 1429, showed her in ordinary female clothing, but carrying a sword and banner.

Depictions of the armored Joan began in the late 1400s with a miniature in the Archives nationales and the illuminated manuscript Vigiles du roi Charles VII. Subsequent images present a range of armor styles, from the rounded contours of Rubens’ seventeenth-century portrait (comparable to the near-contemporary French cuirassier armor in the Knights! exhibit) to the Maximilian suit chosen by Sir John Everett Millais (compare the mounted knight in Knights!). But by the late 1800s, historical accuracy was coming into vogue, and both the painter Jean-AugusteDominique Ingres and the sculptor Emmanuel Fremiet put her in Gothic-style armor suggested by the Archives nationales and Vigiles images.

Antonin Mercié’s bust of Joan is in this tradition, showing her in plate armor with an underlying layer of mail as in the late medieval depictions. Other nineteenthcentury iconography depicts her with a skirt over the armor, following the lead of the Vigiles iconography. Mercié’s bust does not show this part of Joan’s outfit, and her femininity is suggested rather by the places left uncovered by armor plates. Perhaps for this reason, Mercié chose to position Joan’s pauldrons (shoulder-guards) in a slightly off-the-shoulder position, to avoid a masculine broadening of the shoulders.

The historical Joan would have known better: the resulting exposed mail would be an invitation to a broken collarbone!

Compare Mercie’s sculpture with Albert Pinkham Ryder’s painting, Joan of Arc, which is located on the lower third floor.

– Jeffrey L. Forgeng, Curator of Arms and Armor and Medieval Art

Antonin Mercié, Foundry: Bardedienne, Paris, Jeanne d’Arc, gilt bronze, Art Institute of Chicago, George F. Harding Collection.

Image © Art Institute of Chicago, used with permission.

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New curatorial appointments

Jeffrey Forgeng, Curator of Arms and Armor and Medieval Art

On August 1 the Museum welcomed Jeffrey Forgeng to the newly-created position of Curator of Arms and Armor and Medieval Art. Jeffrey’s responsibilities will not only center on the integration of the Higgins collections into the Worcester Art Museum but also extend to his original field of study as the steward of the Museum’s collections of medieval art.

Prior to his appointment, Jeffrey had served as the Paul S. Morgan Curator at the Higgins Armory Museum since 1999.

In that role he established himself as one of the most significant scholars in the field of arms and armor today, with an impressive series of publications and exhibitions. In addition, Jeffrey pioneered the use of digital technologies at the Higgins and since 1999 has been an adjunct professor in the Humanities Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, teaching global history and the history of technology.

He is the author of numerous books on the history of medieval daily life, as well as important translations of medieval and Renaissance swordfighting treatises, most recently The Illuminated Fightbook: Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33 and The Art of Combat: A German Martial Arts Treatise of 1570 by Joachim Meyer. After receiving his undergraduate degree at Brown University, he spent a year in Iceland on a Fulbright grant before going on to earn a PhD in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto.

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We are delighted to announce new curatorial team members, who recently joined the Worcester Art Museum.

Gareth Salway, Chief Registrar

Hailing from Great Britain, Gareth Salway joined the Worcester Art Museum as Chief Registrar in January. He will be responsible for all aspects of collections management, from tracking movement of art objects to organizing storage, maintaining the collection database, and shaping digital access to the collection.

Gareth has 20 years of museum experience, 18 in the field of museum collections management. Most recently, he has served as the Documentation Manager for the Bristol Museums & Art Gallery, the largest museum in the southwest of England, where he lead a team of documentation specialists responsible for collections care and management.

Among Gareth’s accomplishments are the management and delivery of three of the Bristol Museums’ most high-profile projects in recent years, including overseeing the object conservation, mobilization, and exhibition and gallery installation for Bristol’s £27 million new museum, M Shed. In addition, Gareth has played a wider role in the development of collections management at a regional and a national level, working on the development of national standards and in the training of museum staff and volunteers in the areas of documentation and collections management. He holds a BA in History from the University of Reading and an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester.

Elizabeth Athens, Assistant Curator of American Art

On March 16, Elizabeth Athens joins WAM as its Assistant Curator of American Art, a position generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Elizabeth will play a key role in the management of the Museum’s renowned American Art collection, which spans from 1670 to the end of the 20th century, with strengths in Colonial and Federal painting and American Impressionism. She will also continue the development of the Museum’s American art program, including organizing special exhibitions, spearheading acquisitions, and overseeing the reinstallation of the American collections.

Elizabeth is currently a doctoral candidate in the History of Art at Yale University, where she received her Master’s in Philosophy in 2011. Her research, which focuses on the intersection of American art and natural history, has received support from such foundations and institutions as the Henry Luce Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the American Philosophical Society, and the Paul Mellon Centre.

Her previous museum experience includes a predoctoral fellowship at the Yale Center for British Art, as well as research assistantships at the Williams College Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has also taught courses at Yale University, Wheaton College, and the Rhode Island School of Design. Elizabeth also holds a BA from Lawrence University and an MA from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The James A. Welu Curator of European Art Endowment Fund

The James A. Welu Curatorial Endowment Fund was created to honor the commitment and legacy of one of the Worcester Art Museum’s most beloved and influential directors. For 40 years, Jim has dedicated himself to furthering the mission and work of the Worcester Art Museum, first as its young Curator of European Art, then as its indefatigable Director, and now as our Director Emeritus. Throughout his tenure, Jim’s signature ability to share the story and joy of art with others has resulted in wonderful additions both to the Museum’s stellar collection and to its family of lifelong friends and passionate supporters.

What’s your legacy?

In 2012, the Museum began the push for an endowed position in Jim’s name that, when fully funded, will support the work of the Curator of European Art in perpetuity.

The opportunity to ensure ongoing budgetrelieving support for this critical position, while at the same time honoring Jim’s legacy, has great appeal for many, including the fund’s lead donors. Our partnership with these supporters and others who join them in this effort will enable the Worcester Art Museum to continue to recruit and retain top curators of European Art, whose scholarly research and interpretation and guidance of the collection will ensure its accessibility for future generations.

Gifts to the James A. Welu Curatorial Endowment Fund may be made outright, pledged and paid over a number of years, or committed by means of a bequest or other mutually-beneficial planned gift.

Planned giving has played an important role in the history of the Worcester Art Museum. The Museum was founded by Stephen Salisbury III in 1896 and his bequest in 1905 established a solid foundation upon which to build. The generosity of individuals through planned gifts has helped to build a strong financial base through endowments and general operating support. Your planned gift will allow the Museum to continue building upon this base and support future initiatives.

If you have already named the Worcester Art Museum in your will or other estate plans, please let us know. Members of our development staff and its advisors are available to assist you in achieving your tax, estate planning, and charitable giving objectives. As in all situations involving financial and estate planning, you should consult with your own legal and financial advisors.

Members who have designated a planned gift to the Museum are recognized for their generosity and foresight by enjoying benefits such as invitations to special receptions and events, perpetual recognition in planned giving donor listings, and more.

To learn how you can participate, contact Director of Philanthropy Nora Maroulis at noramaroulis@worcesterart.org or at 508.793.4313.

For more information please contact Nancy Jeppson in the Development Office at 508.793.4325 or plannedgiving@worcesterart.org.

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Africa’s Children of Arms Through May 31, 2015

One of the most pressing human rights issues afflicting Africa today is that of young men and women being forced into armed conflict as messengers, spies, cooks, forced wives, and combatants. Whether they are abducted, coerced into violence, or perceive their participation in the army as the only option for survival, many of these child soldiers are not old enough to cope with the severe brutality that they are exposed to during conflict.

A collaboration between the Worcester Art Museum and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Africa’s Children of Arms, the new installation in the Knights! exhibition, reveals the everyday realities of former child soldiers in Africa, providing a glimpse into their traumatic pasts, and, in some cases, hope for the future. Featuring works by internationally acclaimed photojournalists Marcus Bleasdale, Robin Hammond, and Andre Lambertson, the exhibition will be on view through May 31, 2015.

According to Assistant Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs Nancy Burns, Africa’s Children of Arms provides a contemporary framework for understanding the real world ramifications of the weaponry featured in Knights!.

“With this presentation, I hope visitors give further consideration to those who have lived through the atrocities of war in the present day,” she said. “I also want to emphasize the struggle that former child soldiers face after the conflict ends.

More often the focus is exclusively on present-day child combatants, but those who somehow manage to survive the conflicts need to be recognized as well.

The war may be over, but the process of rebuilding their lives has only begun.”

From the desk of Congressman Jim McGovern:

When I hear the term “child soldiers” I think of very specific faces. I think of the young men and women I have met from Sierra Leone who still carry the physical and psychological scars of a childhood spent being forced to participate in the atrocities of that civil war. I think of the children kidnapped by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda, the DRC, the CAR and Sudan, forced to kill members of their own community or to serve as beasts of burden or sexual slaves. I see the faces of young men and women I have met in Colombia, El Salvador, and elsewhere who were forced to join violent criminal organizations or gangs. For them, refusal was not an option.

Those who don’t join must either flee their homes or face certain death – not just for themselves, but for their families. I have been moved and inspired by them, by the many communitybased organizations that work to empower and protect them, and by the programs they create to provide safe spaces and alternatives to a world that so often seems to be drowning in conflict. We feel helpless. We are not. And the first thing we can do is to learn – to know and understand the reality of their lives.

Opposite: Robin Hammond, Former child soldier Moses Kollie, Liberia, January/February 2013, Photo © Robin Hammond/Panos.

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The artistic and attentive ladies behind Flora in Winter designers, many returning arrangers, select their top five choices and submit them quickly to get their first choice.”

Sarah Ribeiro, Kathy Michie, and Kim Cutler

Every winter, no matter how cold and snowy it is outside, there is a warm and fragrant escape without leaving the city.

Inside the Worcester Art Museum, skilled arrangers create clever, thought-provoking floral interpretations of treasured works from the Museum’s collection for WAM’s annual Flora in Winter exhibit.

A gifted trio of designing women, Kim Cutler, Kathy Michie, and Sarah Ribeiro, are instrumental in bringing this magical Museum event to life each year. The 13th annual Flora in Winter, taking place January 29 - February 1, 2015 is no exception. These long-time, volunteer Flora co-chairs embrace the challenge with a palpable passion.

Their behind-the-scenes work begins in the summer when the talented floral designers tour the Museum’s galleries with staff members to “select the artwork to inspire a good arrangement,” explains Kim Cutler. “A master list of two artworks from each gallery is created and the floral

Sarah Ribeiro, a Museum docent, trustee and a 30-year volunteer, says she must “really like the painting” before she makes her choice. “I need to find something in it that is fun to interpret.” Sarah also likes that people will look at artwork through the flowers. “It’s a way in. People sometimes don’t know how to look at a piece, but if you have an arrangement it allows them to look at it and make a connection,” she adds.

The opening day of the show, Kathy Michie and her team of Museum volunteers and staffers waste no time creating and affixing the flower and material labels for the displays once the floral arrangers complete their installations.

Kathy—a past president of the Worcester Garden Club, an accredited flower show judge, and Museum trustee-emerita—and her two co-chairs also participate in numerous regional flower shows throughout the year.

Meanwhile, Kim and Sarah prepare 30 Museum docents to give show tours for the public. “We walk through each gallery and provide details about the floral display from the arranger’s statement of intent so the docents can speak about the relationship between the artwork and the floral interpretation,” says Kim, a skilled floral arranger, talented potter, and longtime Museum docent.

And there are more activities these ladies organize for the event. The co-chairs work closely with Museum staff to organize the popular floral demonstrations that feature a notable arranger. Then there’s the challenge class where four arrangers compete to create a spontaneous floral design—this year inspired by the Worcester Hunt floor mosaic in the Renaissance Court. “They will not be told beforehand what floral materials or container they’ll be using and must finish during the time allotted,” explains Kim. The completed arrangements are displayed and then raffled.

While most floral events require arrangers to return each day to tend and water their creations, to protect the art the co-chairs perform that function at the Museum in the early morning hours before the show opens. “If a flower needs to be tweaked or replaced we do that, too,” Kim says.

The trio is grateful for the endless support the Museum staff provides to get the event up and running. “If you work at the Museum, you are a part of Flora,” Sarah observes. “It takes a small army of staff and volunteers to achieve the success we enjoy with this event.”

And certainly it takes the contributions of three women who marry floral designs with treasured works of art for thousands who come through the Museum doors in late January to experience the scented and beautiful flowered interpretations—a wintertime feast for the eyes and soul.

Flora in Winter January 29 - February 1, 2015

The Worcester Art Museum’s annual four-day fundraiser showcases floral interpretations of artworks throughout the Museum.

Flora in Winter would not be possible without the hard work of many volunteers. Our most sincere appreciation goes to Kim Cutler, Kathy Michie, and Sarah Riberio, as well as the Worcester Art Museum docents and volunteers and Worcester Garden Club members, for their contributions of time and talent to this successful event.

Flora in Winter is sponsored by People’s United Bank and Unum, with additional support from Imperial Distributors, Inc.

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Spotlight on studio art classes

Patti Kelly

A passion for connecting students with art

D

on’t tell Patti Kelly that you don’t have artistic talent. “Everybody can be an artist,” says this longtime member of the studio classes faculty. “All it takes is passion, determination, and practice—like a musician, you have to practice every day.” Not surprisingly, that encouraging and inclusive attitude has inspired hundreds of her students over the past two decades.

The practice that Kelly feels is so important includes close observation and careful study. “As artists we must see new things and try new things,” she says. “Any time someone says they’ve never been to WAM before joining a class, I say ‘GREAT! We’re going in! I’m going to show you!’”

After that, it’s easy to get them excited about the collections. “A lot of times new students don’t know where to start; they don’t know what to do. The Museum is a great anchor for them to start from. I can see the tenseness when they walk in, and then it starts falling away little by little as they gain confidence in their work.”

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The willingness to slow down and look and experiment is something that Kelly worries is disappearing. “I think we’re losing some ground with youth” she says, “in the sense that they don’t use the creative process and are more interested in the final product.” She works hard to convey the importance of observing, making, and appreciating art, and is heartened when students do come to see art as a way of experiencing the world, and not just an activity with a beginning and an end. “If we didn’t have artists—visual artists, musicians, writers, actors—we wouldn’t be a great society. Having the Worcester Art Museum here in central Massachusetts is extremely vital. When you think about it, where else in the area can you take art classes as an adult, or as a child, outside of a school program?”

A practicing artist and art teacher for more than 20 years, Kelly first came to know the Museum as a student of the School of the Worcester Art Museum in the early 1980s.

“I was immediately taken with the Museum

and its collection,” she says. When the school ceased operations in 1981, she finished her degree at the Massachusetts College of Art. In addition to teaching at WAM off and on over the past two decades, she also teaches at MetroWest Jewish Day school in Framingham, and has worked with VSA (formerly Very Special Arts) where she taught special needs students in public schools.

A longtime Worcester resident, Kelly regularly visits the Museum galleries for inspiration for her own creative practice as well. “Every time I go I see something new, even if I’ve seen it before.” Viewing the recently restored painting Brandywine Landscape by N. C. Wyeth in the reopened American gallery “was so emotional,” she recalls. “I stood in front of it and said, ‘This is what art is all about.’”

Colleen Foster

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t took a studio classes Open House at WAM for Colleen Foster to rediscover her passion for art. That’s when she met instructor Patti Kelly. “[Patti] was painting and telling me about the courses she was going to be teaching,” Colleen explains.

“You could feel her passion for what she was talking about and how happy she was doing it. We began to talk, and I instantly became excited to get back into art.”

Now working as a human resources and payroll specialist, Colleen earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Westfield State University in 2009. In college she concentrated on art history, intending to pursue a career as a curator, but she also loved working with ceramics and sketching. After enrolling in Patti Kelly’s Beginning Painting course, Colleen not only found a medium she loves, but also found her passion for art again.

It also gave her an opportunity to become familiar with the Museum and its collections. The class visited the galleries often to look at examples of the techniques and styles they’d be learning that day.

Several students had a particular interest in Impressionism, so they spent time discussing Childe Hassam’s Trees in Bloom in the newly reopened fourth-floor American gallery. A lesson about portraiture began by looking closely at paintings by John Singer Sargent. English artist J. M. W. Turner’s atmospheric landscape painting Banks of the Loire was a particular inspiration for Foster.

When asked if she’s had any breakthrough moments, the Northborough resident doesn’t hesitate. “I really found myself as an artist this time,” Colleen says. “I think the work I’m doing now is ten times better than what I was making in college. It’s partly that I know better now who I am as

a person, but it’s also that Patti speaks with such passion about the medium. I love her as a teacher.”

For her part, Patti returns the praise.

“Colleen has the passion and spirit for creating,” she says. “She wants to improve with each class and each painting.”

Not only is Colleen taking her creative practice to new levels, but she’s also having a blast in the Monday evening class. “You know how people say they have a case of the Mondays? I don’t have that problem. My Mondays go by really quickly. I can’t wait to get to class.”

Feeling inspired to kindle your creative spirit? This spring, Patti Kelly will teach abstract painting, landscape painting, and beginning drawing, as well as lead the Museum’s new “WAM Canvas Night.”

Visit worcesterart.org to browse and register for classes.

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A destination wedding

W

hen Thomas Wolfe wrote, You Can’t Go Home Again, Misty Masiello, a former Worcester resident who just happens to live in Wolfe’s hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, proved the famous American author wrong by returning to her hometown to be married.

Misty and her now husband, Bill Butcher, a busy and active Ashevillebased couple, decided to tie the knot in Worcester since her large extended family is located here. “We chose the Worcester Art Museum as the site of our destination wedding because I love the drama, romance, and history within the Museum,” Misty said. “Bill and I knew we could create a wonderful and unforgettable experience there for our guests.”

And they surely did.

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On Sunday evening, May 25, 2014, Misty and Bill celebrated their nuptials surrounded by 80 of their closest friends and family. Dressed in a stunning black Oscar de la Renta gown, the bride, her husband and their three children— Madeline, Claire, and Max—joined their guests for cocktails in the impressive Renaissance Court after a wedding ceremony in the intimate Chapter House. The European Painting Galleries on the upper-balcony level were open to their guests to view the Museum’s world-class art collection.

At tables surrounding the striking Worcester Hunt mosaic, dinner was served family-style, provided by Russell Morin Fine Catering. In place of floral centerpieces there were stylish tiered displays of antipasto at each table, allowing the food to take center stage.

During the reception, Misty, an

accomplished pianist, played the Museum’s grand Steinway and entertained her guests with a few classical pieces and selections from Phantom of the Opera.

“Friends said it was the best wedding they had ever been to,” Misty recalls.

“The ambience that night was magical.

For the Masiello family, it was a muchneeded happy occasion as we had lost a beloved uncle just a month before.”

Her family also played a major role in the Museum gallery where she and Bill said their vows.

Unbeknownst to Misty, until after she had selected the Museum as her wedding venue, was a significant family connection to the 12th-century Chapter House. “A cousin mentioned that my grandfather was one of four masons

that reconstructed the Chapter House within the Museum in the late 1920s when the meeting house was transported here from France”, she explains. “Getting married in that special place made me feel that my now deceased dad and his father, my grandfather, were with us that day.”

The couple credit Janice Potter, Event Sales Manager and Wedding Consultant, with making their wedding day a spectacular success. “Janice and her extraordinary staff have a flawless level of service. They have so much experience and I trusted Janice’s judgment implicitly throughout the planning of my destination wedding.”

needs to turn the reins loose and let someone else handle those important wedding details, I felt so comfortable turning the planning over to Janice,” Misty said. “On my wedding day, I didn’t have to think about anything else except my children and husband. That was a wonderful feeling!”

Contact WAM Wedding Consultant Janice Potter to learn how you can add Mattise, Rembrandt, and Monet to your wedding guest list! Call Janice at 508-793-4327 or email weddingconsultant@worcesterart.org.

Misty highly recommends the Museum as a wedding venue. “Janice and her team made it so easy for me. She has it all figured out! For a bride like me that

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Membership My Way

1 2

Select your membership level: Single / $60 — 1 adult / 1 child

Double / $80 — 2 adults / 2 children Triple / $100 — 3 adults / 3 children

Choose your categories:

$20 per category (more than one can be chosen)

Social

Enjoy meeting new people and socializing?

• “Early Access” to a special event

• One 10% off coupon for use at WAM’s Café

• Two guest passes to bring friends, family or colleagues to the “Early Access” event

Family

• Register for classes 24 hours in advance of the

Introducing a unique twist to our membership packages. While we remain committed to the same annual membership price, we’re offering a new, customized plan for our membership packages that will change the way you interact with the Worcester Art Museum. We’re calling it Membership My Way.

public (call 508.793.4333)

• Additional 10% off WAM class registration when you sign-up for more than one class

• Invitation to the Family Summer Picnic

Insider

With Membership My Way, you pick a category that fits your unique needs and customize that membership to focus upon your own personal tastes and preferences.

Offering you discounts, alerts, and preferential treatment, Membership My Way provides you with access to the Museum in ways that are meaningful to you—our valued member.

• Reserved seats for Artist Talks ahead of time (call 508.793.4301 to reserve)

• Access to 33 additional Museums

through the Museum Alliance Reciprocal

Membership program

Artist Is creating and exploring your idea of fun?

• Register for classes 24 hours in advance of the

All Members enjoy

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Learn more at www.worcesterart.org

Love an inside scoop?

• An invitation to an Insider’s Tea and Docent Tour

It’s easy!

• Unlimited free admission to the Museum • 10% savings at the Museum Shop and 20% off during the holidays • Up to 15% discount on WAM classes • $35 discount on children’s birthday parties (call 508.793.4334 to reserve) • Invitations and discounts to WAM exhibit openings and social events • Free audio tours • Subscription to access magazine • Members Express Line at major events • Select member days, when you can share your membership with friends and family

Looking for family discounts and entertainment?

public (call 508.793.4333)

• Additional 10% off WAM class registration when you sign-up for more than one class

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• An invitation to an Artist Talk Q & A

Start enjoying your benefits while supporting the Worcester Art Museum Purchase your Worcester Art Museum membership online at worcesterart.org/Membership, email membership@worcesterart.org, call 508.793.4300, or stop by the Visitor Services Desk at the Museum.

For Salisbury or Benefactor level membership, call 508.793.4325.

members access [community

F E AT U

RED

WA M MEMB

ER

Luke M. Vaillancourt, Salisbury Member and Corporator To say Luke M. Vaillancourt is passionate about the Worcester Art Museum is no exaggeration—it’s a fact. When this WAM member, and now a Museum corporator, speaks about it he uses words like “gem” and “world-class.” You could say he is downright smitten.

Although Vaillancourt hails from a family immersed in the arts, he recalls his parents “dragging him kicking and screaming” as a child to art museums throughout the world. “I guess I was too young to appreciate all I was seeing,” he says. “Now that I’m older, art has become a real passion for me.”

When Vaillancourt completed his Master’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2007, he returned home to Central Massachusetts and joined the Museum. He attended the Third Thursday After-Hours events, which provided “an ideal opportunity to meet like-minded people in a sophisticated setting.” He was hooked.

Soon Vaillancourt was asked to serve a recently completed six-year term on the WAM Members Council, eventually chairing the after-hours programming committee. Now a Museum Corporator, he is involved in planning the Corporators Ball for June 13, 2015. “Our goal is to create a premier fundraising gala, similar to the Met Ball, which will be the social event of the Central Massachusetts area,” he says.

Vaillancourt is the director of digital marketing for Vaillancourt Folk Art in Sutton, a 30-year-old family business, which creates high-quality chalkware Santas and other figures.

And if that isn’t enough, he also oversees his two start-up businesses, WorcesterScene.com and WorcesterFoodies, which focus on promoting the growing restaurant, bars and arts scene in the city. “My involvement with the hospitality industry and the arts is all for the betterment of Worcester,” Vaillancourt explains. “As a Museum member, I am thrilled to see how WAM seamlessly involves itself in the cultural and social growth of this city. I’m proud to promote the Museum.”

While attending Worcester Academy, Vaillancourt took computer classes at the Worcester Art Museum. Now, as a gift for Mother’s Day, he and his mother, artist Judi Vaillancourt, enjoy taking classes together. “These classes are a great way to bond with my mom and expand our art skills,” he says. “We really enjoy our studio time together with our instructors. It’s a great benefit to have that opportunity to learn. WAM is a real treasure.”

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Festival of Lanterns 6pm

Red Carpet Arrival and Cocktail Reception

9pm

Dance Party

7pm

Corporators Ball

SAVE THE DATE Saturday, June 13, 2015

Seated Dinner and Live Auction

The Corporator Council is pleased to announce the launch on Saturday, June 13 of the Corporators Ball, an annual black-tie gala in celebration and support of the Worcester Art Museum’s mission to connect art and community. Join Co-Chairs Jen Glowik and Luke Vaillancourt for an elegant evening inspired by this spring’s Samurai exhibition and in the company of the region’s most prominent and influential art collectors, business leaders, and style makers.

Highlights include red carpet arrival and cocktail reception, a sumptuous Japanese-themed menu prepared by Russell Morin Catering, finely-curated silent and live auctions, and a festive afterdinner dance party.

Individual Ticket Prices start at $250 for the entire evening and $75 for the dance party only.

Call 508.793.4300 for early reservation information, and sponsorship opportunities.

WORCESTER ART MUSEUM

FOLK FESTIVAL Saturday, July 18

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Community + members day 10am – 5pm Enjoy a full day of folk music, art, and programs. Free with Museum admission.

COMING SOON

American Folk Art, Lovingly Collected July 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; November 29, 2015

Discover one of the most important private collections of folk art in the country, with an unusual focus on works from Central Massachusetts.

Zedekiah Belknap, Farley Children of Groton (detail), about 1835, oil on canvas, Private Collection.

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Drop-in tours

Audio Tours Available at the Visitor Services Desks at the Lancaster and Salisbury Street entrances. Offered in English and Spanish. A self-guided audio tour of some of the Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest treasures is available for rent (free for Members).

Zip Tours Saturdays, noon Delve into one artist or work of art in these fast-paced 20-minute tours. Free with Museum admission. Admission free for all the first Saturday of each month between 10am-noon.

Sunday Tours Sundays, 1-2pm Join one of our talented Museum docents for an overview of the Museum collection. Free with Museum admission.

Tours of the Month Select Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2pm Get an in-depth look at the Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection in these special docent-led tours. Free with Museum admission.

February: Female Psyche: The Madonna to the Modern Woman Wednesday, February 18, and Saturday, February 21: 2pm March: Painting with Light: The Beauty of Stained Glass Wednesday, March 18, and Saturday, March 21: 2pm April: Art and Music Wednesday, April 15, and Saturday, April 18: 2pm May: Samurai: Knights of the East Wednesday, May 20, and Saturday, May 23: 2pm

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Group tours

Adult Group Tours Private, docent-led group tours for 10 or more are available; guide included with museum admission. Please call 508.793.4338 to speak to a Education staff member.

Youth/ Student Group Tours All tours meet at the Lancaster Street entrance

Tours are $5 per student for prearranged school tour groups on either docent-led or self-guided tours.* Chaperones are FREE. Admission will remain free for Worcester Public School students and their chaperones. Adult tour groups pay Museum admission and a $2 service fee. Please note, you must meet at the Lancaster Street entrance for a tour.

Our tours are tailored to meet your specific needs, goals and interests. They are guided by trained and dedicated volunteer docents who will assist students of all ages develop their visual and thinking skills while engaging in inquiry and observation at the Museum.

Our special exhibitions and permanent collections can be used to support the goals of your curriculum through tours, hands-on workshops, teachers resources and other events.

We look forward to talking with you about your goals and working with you to create a fun and enriching experience for you and your students at WAM.

Whether introductory or a special theme tour of our collections or special exhibitions, a Worcester Art Museum tour will support and enrich curricula in many areas including art, language arts, social studies, math, and foreign languages.

*Includes Museum admission

Make the most of your WAM visit!

Programs for all ages

Adult programs

Join us for this fun interactive program, and learn all about different kinds of arms and armor used by knights and soldiers, including Roman soldiers, Medieval knights, and beyond! Visit our website for weekly schedule.

Draw a live nude model with the guidance of our expert faculty in one of the Museum’s galleries as the nude takes center stage.

Arms + Armor Demonstrations Sundays at 12:30 and 2:30pm

One-Day Artist Residencies Get inspired by the Worcester Art Museum collection and become a oneday artist-in-residence! How does it work? While visiting, take a photograph, draw, or write in response to works of art on display, then take a photograph and send it to katrinastacy@worcesterart.org.

Your work will be shared by the Museum on our Flickr and Facebook sites.

Art Cart Wednesday & Saturday, in the Galleries Did you know? We staff interactive Art Carts throughout the WAM galleries.

Watch for posted hours when you visit!

WAM’s Art Carts are filled with fun, informative, interactive activities that are suitable for all ages.

Family programs

Family Tour First Saturdays of the Month, 10:30-11am

Explore the museum galleries with your family on a docent-guided discovery tour. Hear fun facts, stories and enjoy sharing observations and time together.

Tours last approximately 30 minutes.

Families @ WAM Make Art First Saturdays of the Month, 11-11:30am Stay after your family tour (starting time 10:30am), or drop-in for this fun intergenerational time in the galleries or studios. Get inspired by our art and try making something uniquely yours.

Materials will be provided. Come recover your childlike sense of free spirited play!

Nude Drawing in the Galleries Thursdays from 2-5pm

Exhibition programs

Community Day: Cherry Blossom Festival* Sunday, March 22, 11am-5pm

Experience the grace and beauty of Japan as we celebrate the start of spring with our Cherry Blossom Festival Community Day. Join us for Japanesethemed music, games, art making, performances, and more!

Samurai! Opening Party Friday, April 17 7-8pm members only 8-11pm general public Members $10 / nonmembers $20

Experience the old world meeting the new in this whirlwind celebration of traditional samurai arms & armor, on view alongside the work of contemporary artists that have been inspired by its history. Japanese taiko drummers set the tone for the evening, which is packed with performances, theatrics, and more.

Star Wars Day Sunday, May 17, 11am-5pm

Come dressed as your favorite Star Wars character and join Jedi Knights and Imperial Stormtroopers for a day of “Force –full” fun! Compare a Stormtrooper’s armor to that of a Gothic knight, watch a light saber battle, see if you have what it takes to be a Jedi by signing up for a light saber class, and more.

Community Day: Folk Festival* Saturday, July 18, 2015

Held in celebration of the exhibition American Folk Art: Lovingly Collected, WAM opens its doors to the community with artmaking activities, performances, food, and more. See local artisans craft their wares on-site with artist demonstrations, and talk with our cultural partners about how objects may have been made in early America. * WAM Members are invited to bring a friend to Community Days for free!

All programs listed are free with Museum admission, unless otherwise noted.

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Thank You

WA M BUSINES S PA R T N E R

Business Partners!

Together we make a difference for Worcester.

SPONSORS $20,000+ People’s United Bank

SPONSORS $15,000+ Fallon Health Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

SPONSORS $10,000+ Bowditch and Dewey, LLP Cole Contracting, Inc. Interstate Specialty Products, Inc. National Grid Reliant Medical Group Saint-Gobain The TJX Foundation, Inc. SPONSORS $5,000+ Fletcher Tilton P.C. FLEXcon Company, Inc. Imperial Distributors, Inc. Skinner, Inc. Tufts Health Plan Medicare Preferred UniBank United Bank Washington Mills Worcester Business Journal

DONORS $2,500+ J.J. Bafaro, Inc. Herbert E. Berg Florist, Inc. CCR Wealth Management, LLC Christie’s Commerce Bank Country Bank Foley Incorporated Revelation Productions, Inc. Spectrum Health Systems, Inc. Waters Corporation Webster Five Worcester Magazine MEMBERS $1,000+ Alexander, Aronson, Finning & Co., P.C. Applied Rubber & Plastics, Inc. Avidia Bank Bartholomew & Company, Inc. Bay State Savings Bank BenefitsLab - Health Insurance Solutions

Join us!

Central One Federal Credit Union Columbia Tech Commcreative Data Source, Inc. Davis Publications, Inc. Fiduciary Investment Advisors Floral Elegance Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, P.C. Highland-March Office Business Centers Mercier Electric Company, Inc. Merrill Lynch / The O'Brien Group Miles Press, Inc. Russell Morin Fine Catering J.S. Mortimer, Inc. New England Disposal Technologies, Inc. Penta Communications, Inc. Pepper's Fine Catering Perfect Focus Eyecare Carol Seager Associates, Inc. Seder and Chandler, LLP Spencer Bank Thomas J. Woods Insurance Agency, Inc. Worcester County Memorial Park

FRIENDS $500+ The Berry Group of Wells Fargo Advisors Burr Insurance Butler-Dearden Charlton Manor Rest Home Checkerboard Ltd. Coghlin Electrical Contractors Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. George’s Coney Island F.W. Madigan Company, Inc. Marr Oil Heat Co., Inc. Mirick O’Connell Northwood Insurance Agency, Inc. The Protector Group, a Marsh & McLennan Agency Company Quaker Special Risk Joffrey Smith Financial Group Sotheby’s Struck Catering Sullivan Benefits Sullivan, Garrity & Donnelly Insurance Agency, Inc. Sunshine Sign Company, Inc. Wings Over Worcester

As of January 1, 2015

SPONSORS $25,000+ Unum

Contact Karmen Bogdesic: 508.793.4326 / karmenbogdesic@worcesterart.org

WOR C E S TE R A R T M U S E U M / www.worcesterart.org

While Art is Subjective,

For over 25 years, clients have turned to PENTA when they want to improve the results of their marketing and advertising programs.

RESULTS ARE NOT Discover why our clients rated integrity, trust, phenomenal service, creativity and great results as their top five reasons for working with our firm.

To learn more about how PENTA can help your organization get to the next level, call Deborah Penta at 508.616.9900, extension 117.

Register for Adult Classes Make something great!

worcesterart.org/classes

Special Events Make your event a masterpiece.

Phoro: Eric Limon - www.maweddingphotographers.com

Phoro: KLC Photography

WOR C ESTER â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;A R Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;M U SEU M To book a social or corporate event visit www.worcesterart.org or call 508.793.4327.

shop the museum

The Museum Shop offers items inspired by art in the permanent collection and in museums worldwide. Visit today to see our latest selections that celebrate our exhibitions and appreciate art around the world.

Manufacturing fused minerals and abrasives to meet your most demanding applications since 1868

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100 YEARS & COUNTING STEAM

POWER

SOLAR P OWER

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At Bowditch & Dewey, we’ve seen a lot of changes in the past 100 years. Thanks to our friends and clients, we’ve embraced each passing decade. Moving forward, we’ll continue to evolve with the times. From our technological improvements and strategic thinking to our investments in the community – we promise to keep raising the bar. bowditch.com WORCESTER • FRAMINGHAM • BOSTON

Discover what

know-how can do.

PEOPLE’S UNITED BANK IS A PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE

Worcester Art Museum.

The Museum

CONTACT US FOR ALL YOUR FINANCIAL NEEDS. 508-890-5199

peoples.com

Café Lunch with us.

We’re sure to enchant you with our seasonal specials.

©2014 People’s United Bank | Member FDIC |

Equal Housing Lender

Job Adriaensz. Berckheyde, The Baker, about 1681, oil on canvas, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Milton P. Higgins, 1975.105

Celebrate chivalry Mother’s Day weekend!

Jan

11 Million Dollar Quartet January 9 - January 11, 2015

16 Sesame Street Live: Make a New Friend January 16 - January 18, 2015

Feb Feb

4

The Australian Bee Gees Show: A Multimedia Tribute Concert Wednesday, February 4, 2015

5

50 Shades! The Musical Parody Thursday, February 5, 2015

7

Live And Let Die: A Symphonic Tribute to Paul McCartney and The Beatles Saturday, February 7, 2015

13 Flashdance: The Musical February 13 - February 15, 2015 Generously sponsored by UniBank

25 Peter and the Wolf along with Hansel and Gretel: Classic Tales Told Through Music and Dance Wednesday, February 25, 2015

28 Wild Kratts Live!

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Mar

1

Dancing Pros Live Hosted by Alan Thicke, Featuring Chelsie Hightower Sunday, March 1, 2015

6

I Love Lucy: Live On Stage March 6 - March 8, 2015 Generously sponsored by Commerce Bank

15 Sherlock Jr Jr.. Featuring Buster Keaton, Accompanied by Clark Wilson on the Mighty Wurlitzer Sunday, March 15, 2015

15 Brian Regan Sunday, March 15, 2015 Generously sponsored by Southbridge Savings Bank

22 Jay Leno Sunday, March 22, 2015 Made possible through the support of WinnDevelopment.

27 Frank Carroll presents An Evening with The Priests to Benefit St. John’s Food for the Poor Friday, March 27, 2015

Apr

7

Stephen Dubner Tuesday, April 7, 2015 Presented by The Worcester Economic Club

11 The Price is Right Live!

Saturday, April 11, 2015 Made possible through the support of TD Bank.

12 Brit Floyd Sunday, April 12, 2015

17 Adolph Adam’s Giselle performed by The Russian National Ballet Theatre Friday, April 17, 2015 Presented by Music Worcester

May 8-10, 2015

18 Chuggington Live! The Great Rescue Adventure Recount the time-honored legend of King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table in an enchanting fable of chivalry, majesty, and brotherhood in this four-time Tony Award-winning show. Intimate and fresh, never has this story of passion, pageantry and betrayal been more captivating.

Generously sponsored by

Saturday, April 18, 2015

May M ay

8

Camelot May 8 - May 10, 2015 Generously sponsored by Commerce Bank

Jun

27 Celtic Woman: 10th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, June 27, 2015 Generously sponsored by Commerce Bank

ASL interpretation available available Visit TheHanoverTheatre.org/accessibility erTheatre.org/accessibility.php .php for details.

TheHanoverTheatre.org • 877.571.SHO TheHanoverTheatre.org 877.571.SHOW W (7469) 2 SSouthbridge outhbridge SStreet treet • W Worcester, orcester er,, M MA A 01608 SSwipe wipe yyour our WOO C ard for for poin ts and pr izes!

Card points prizes!

W orcester Center Center for the Performing Performing Arts, Arts, a registered registered not-for-profit not-for-profit 501(c(3) 501(c(3) or ganization, owns owns and operates operates The The Hanover Hanover Theatre Theatre for the Performing Performing Arts.

Arts.

Worcester organization,

WORCESTER ART MU SEU M

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

01609

Permit # 2098 Worcester, MA

PA I D

fifty-five salisbury street worcester, massachusetts

WWW. WORCESTERART. ORG

ADMISSION Members: Free / Adults: $14 Seniors and Students: $12 Youth 4-17: $6 / Children under 4: Free First Saturday Mornings 10am-noon: Free (The first Saturday of each month.

Supported in part by TJX Foundation Inc.) EBT card holders: $2/person WooCard holders: Show your card for $2 off general admission for up to 4 adults GALLERY HOURS Wednesday 11am-5pm Thursday 11am-5pm* Friday 11am-5pm Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday 11am-5pm *3rd Thursday 11am-8pm Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Holidays THE MUSEUM CAFÉ 508.793.4358 Wednesday-Saturday, 11:30am-2pm

THE MUSEUM SHOP 508.793.4355 Open during gallery hours

MEMBERSHIP 508.793.4300 membership@worcesterart.org

LIBRARY 508.793.4382 library@worcesterart.org Wednesday - Friday 11am-5pm

SALISBURY SOCIETY / BENEFACTORS / ANNUAL FUND 508.793.4325 NancyJeppson@worcesterart.org

SOCIAL & CORPORATE EVENTS RENTAL 508.793.4327 specialevents@worcesterart.org

CLASSES Higgins Education Wing transactions@worcesterart.org Registration: 508.793.4333 / 4334

GROUP TOURS 508.793.4338 JanEwick@worcesterart.org

We partner with Unless otherwise stated, all images © Worcester Art Museum, all rights reserved

BUSINESS PARTNERS / SPONSORSHIPS 508.793.4326 KarmenBogdesic@worcesterart.org

VISITOR & VOLUNTEER SERVICES 508.793.4321 during Museum hours volunteerservices@worcesterart.org

ACCESSIBILITY For barrier-free access to the Museum, park in the Tuckerman Street lot and enter the Stoddard Garden Court. Follow the pathway to the outdoor Café and enter the Museum via the ramp on the right. The Garden entrance is open during Museum hours and while classes are in session.

Wheelchairs are available for loan. Please request upon arrival. p 508.799.4406 / f 508.798.5646

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