For centuries, artists have relied on the support of wealthy patrons. But in 1938, the exclusive Robert C. Vose Galleries in Boston sold a painting to a very different type of collector-a high school in Springville, Utah, which displayed the picture in its annual Spring Salon. That a high school was holding yearly salons is surprising enough. Even more astonishing, the students raised the money to buy the painting by holding bake sales. (Mrs.
Rothwell's pies were particularly popular.) The movement that began at Springville High School in the 1920s still endures under the auspices of the Springville Museum of Art, and this year marks its 100th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone, the museum is holding a special retrospective called Salon 100, featuring 100 paintings and sculptures from the past century, plus a smaller installation of ephemera from the Salon's early days.
The high school may have been small, but the students managed to persuade some big names in representational art to send them paintings. Nationally known artists who exhibited their work there between the late 1920s and the 1950s include Robert Henri, Childe Hassam, J. Alden Weir, Edward Hopper, John Twachtman, Rockwell Kent, Georgia O'Keeffe and John Koch.
If the concept of placing museum-quality art in schools sounds odd today, it didn't seem strange at the time. "With the progressive movement in education, there was a belief that having original art in schools made students better students," says Emily Larsen, director of the Springville Museum of Art. Examination of the paintings and sculptures would encourage critical thinking, beyond the rote memorization that was integral to so much education at the time.
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Esta historia es de la edición September/October 2024 de American Fine Art Magazine.
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Landscapes for Learning - The Arnot Museum uses its Hudson River School collection to anchor its educational programming
Continuing the mission of its founder, education remains major focus of the Arnot Art a Museum in Elmira, New York. The museum's founding donor, Matthias H. Arnot (1833-1910) was a wealthy banker who believed everyone should have access to fine art and arts learning opportunities. Each weekend, he would open his home to share his collection with the local community. Arnot also emphasized the importance of building an art library, which became part of the museum when it opened in 1913, and now contains nearly 1,000 volumes.
All Aboard -An exhibition explores the impact of the railroad on American life through the lens of the country's most prominent painters
Many would argue that no single technological advancement had such a profound impact on the cultural geography or social topography of the United States as the advent of the railroad. In an exploration of how the arrival of trains impacted the visual culture during the rapid industrialization and expansion of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Shelburne Museum presents All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840-1955.
American Beauty - The impressive Osher Collection of American Art is unveiled at the de Young Museum
The promised substantial gift of paintings, works on paper and sculpture by Bernard and Barbro Osher are on display at the de Young museum in San Francisco. The well-known philanthropists helped fund the construction of the de Young, and their generosity is commemorated through the named Bernard and Barbro Osher Wing and the Barbro Osher Sculpture Garden.American Beauty: The Osher Collection of American Art, featuring the works of 39 prominent artists, continues at the de Young through October 20.
Economic Engines - The following is excerpted from "Museums as Economic Engines," conducted by the AAM & Oxford Economics in 2017 with post-pandemic data from the "2023 Annual National Snapshot of United States Museums," conducted by AAM and Wilkening Consulting For more information visit www.aam-us.org
The following is excerpted from "Museums as Economic Engines," conducted by the AAM & Oxford Economics in 2017 with post-pandemic data from the "2023 Annual National Snapshot of United States Museums," conducted by AAM and Wilkening Consulting For more information visit www.aam-us.orgMuseums play an essential role in cultural and social life across the United States by collecting. preserving, researching and interpreting objects, living specimens and historical records. In doing so, museums enrich our lives, providing forums for learning and support, as well as a variety of services to our communities. Museums preserve and protect more than a billion objects and help the public better understand and appreciate cultural diversity.
Urban Reflections - An exhibition showcases works by urban realist Everett Shinn and his contemporaries
An exhibition showcases works by urban realist Everett Shinn and his contemporaries. Ashcan painter Everett Shinn’s fascination with the stage was a focus throughout his career. His ability to capture movement and drama in theatrical and urban settings distinguishes his work.
Beauty in the Commonplace - CW American Modernism explores the history of precisionism through an exhibition of 30 artworks.
CW American Modernism explores the history of precisionism through an exhibition of 30 artworks. Bringing together nine artists and 30 bodies of work, CW American Modernism, based in Los Angeles, presents the special exhibition, The Neo Immaculates. The title, coined by the gallery, encapsulates a unique style that’s clean and minimalistic, “with clearly defined lines and smooth—almost machinelike—surfaces,” describes gallery owner, Chris Walther.
Norman Rockwell - The most recently acquired piece, "Whig and Tory", executed in 1938 by the famous American painter and illustrator, Norman Rockwell, was hosted at the Norman Rockwell Museum
Recently hosted at the Norman Rockwell Museum, closing in June, was the exhibition Mystery and Wonder: Highlights from the Illustration Collection. Within the collection was the museum’s highlight, and the most recently acquired piece, Whig and Tory, executed in 1938 by the famous American painter and illustrator, Norman Rockwell (18941978). This oil on canvas illustration is quite significant in that it remained unpublished in any magazines the artist was known for working with—most famously The Saturday Evening Post.
Tracing History
The Arts and Crafts Conference returns for the 26\" year to enlighten and educate the masses on the Arts and Crafts movement
Top-Tier Offerings
The May 16 American Art sale at Freeman's | Hindman brought in a total of $773,494 with an 88 percent sell-through rate.
A Healthy Market
Freeman’s Hindman’s American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sale achieved 1.8 million in total sales
