ARTICLE
Complementing the Michener Art Museum's major upcoming exhibition The Art of Seating is a series of dynamic educational programming, including a lecture series with local and regional design experts and a film series covering the work of major artists from the Delaware Valley region and beyond: The Art of Seating: Two Hundred Years of American Design Lecture Series $10 member / $20 non-member / $5 student with ID, includes Museum admission. Pre-registration required. Curator Lecture With Ben Thompson, Deputy Director, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville Saturday, February 9, 2 – 3 pm Ben Thompson presents an illustrated lecture on the history and origins of the Jacobsen Collection and the Art of Seating exhibition. Bringing more than fifteen years of collections and exhibitions management experience with him, Thompson will delve into the major themes of The Art of Seating and highlight pivotal designs to the exhibition’s narrative. Take a Seat With William Perthes, Bernard C. Watson Director of Adult Education, Barnes Foundation Thursday, February 28, 2 – 3:30 pm Thursday, April 11, 2 – 3:30 pm William Perthes examines the elements of design that transform chairs from a seemingly simple functional object into a true work of art. Explore the materials and interpretations of chair design that give each piece a truly unique identity. The Global Influence on American Design With Diane DeMell Jacobsen, Ph.D., Trustee, Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Foundation Tuesday, April 2, 1 – 2 pm Dr. Diane Jacobsen, whose major collection is presented in The Art of Seating, is a distinguished scholar, art collector, and dynamic speaker. Her collection of more than 250 works of American art is nationally recognized for its depth and breadth of museum-quality paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts. Ranging from the early 19th century to today, her encyclopedic, scholarly survey stresses the formation of a national character and shows the unique history of American art through a majority of important movements. Chair Design With Mark Sfirri, woodworker and professor Tuesday, April 9, 1 – 2 pm Mark Sfirri, a professor and renowned woodworker whose work is in the permanent collection of twenty-seven public institutions, explores the process of designing and engineering comfortable, attractive, structurally sound chairs, presenting various examples and solutions to the challenge of furniture design. The Design, Sculpture, and Philosophy of Harry Bertoia With Celia Bertoia Tuesday, April 23, 1 – 2 pm Celia Bertoia, the youngest daughter of Harry Bertoia and the founder and director of the Harry Bertoia Foundation, presents an intimate look at the life and legacy of one of the world’s most profound designers and metalworkers. Known for explorations in visual and practical auditory and tactile art, Bertoia designed modern chairs for Knoll, welded over 50 public sculptures, shaped endless table top sculptures, etched thousands of monotypes and crafted hundreds of jewelry treasures. Film Screenings Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion Free with Museum admission. Pre-registration suggested. Galleries remain open until 9 pm. Who Gets to Call it Art? (2006) 80 minutes Thursday, April 4, 7:30 Centered on the life of Henry Geldzahler, the adventurous Metropolitan Museum of Art curator who championed the careers of Andy Warhol and his contemporaries, this film is a fascinating look at the birth of modern American art, including a trove of rare footage and insightful interviews. Featured artists include John Chamberlain, Francesco Clemente, Mark di Suvero, David Hockney, Ellsworth Kelly, Larry Poons, James Rosenquist and Frank Stella. Greene & Greene: The Art of Architecture (2003) 60 minutes Thursday, April 11, 7:30 pm During the heyday of the Arts and Crafts Movement in America, Charles and Henry Greene took an intensely artistic approach to the design of houses and interiors, creating some of the most beautiful residences in the history of domestic architecture. This film chronicles the lives of these remarkable brothers, featuring more than fifteen residences and exploring the Greenes' passionate interest in creating fully planned living environments. I Am Known as an Artist - Wharton Esherick Documentary (2017) 41 minutes Thursday, April 25, 7:30 pm Disinterested in conventional society, Wharton Esherick moved to rural Chester County outside Philadelphia in 1913, where he pursued the life of a painter only to discover his passion for wood. Over time he abandoned painting altogether, opting to produce furniture in his studio one piece at a time for the next 55 years. Revered as the “Dean of American Craftsmen,” he was pivotal in establishing the American studio furniture movement. Registration information can be found at MichenerArtMuseum.org. The Art of Seating: Two Hundred Years of American Design is generously supported by Visit Bucks County and Tom and Alycia Scannapieco. Additional support is provided by Barbara Donnelly Bentivoglio and Dr. Lamberto Bentivoglio, EwingCole, and Jane M. Yeuroukis, Inc., Interior Designs. The Art of Seating is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, in collaboration with the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation and is toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.
Complementing the Michener Art Museum's major upcoming exhibition The Art of Seating is a series of dynamic educational programming, including a lecture series with local and regional design experts and a film series covering the work of major artists from the Delaware Valley region and beyond:
The Art of Seating: Two Hundred Years of American Design Lecture Series
$10 member / $20 non-member / $5 student with ID, includes Museum admission. Pre-registration required.
Curator Lecture With Ben Thompson, Deputy Director, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville Saturday, February 9, 2 – 3 pm
Ben Thompson presents an illustrated lecture on the history and origins of the Jacobsen Collection and the Art of Seating exhibition. Bringing more than fifteen years of collections and exhibitions management experience with him, Thompson will delve into the major themes of The Art of Seating and highlight pivotal designs to the exhibition’s narrative.
Take a Seat
With William Perthes, Bernard C. Watson Director of Adult Education, Barnes Foundation Thursday, February 28, 2 – 3:30 pm Thursday, April 11, 2 – 3:30 pm
William Perthes examines the elements of design that transform chairs from a seemingly simple functional object into a true work of art. Explore the materials and interpretations of chair design that give each piece a truly unique identity.
The Global Influence on American Design
With Diane DeMell Jacobsen, Ph.D., Trustee, Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Foundation Tuesday, April 2, 1 – 2 pm
Dr. Diane Jacobsen, whose major collection is presented in The Art of Seating, is a distinguished scholar, art collector, and dynamic speaker. Her collection of more than 250 works of American art is nationally recognized for its depth and breadth of museum-quality paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts. Ranging from the early 19th century to today, her encyclopedic, scholarly survey stresses the formation of a national character and shows the unique history of American art through a majority of important movements.
Chair Design
With Mark Sfirri, woodworker and professor Tuesday, April 9, 1 – 2 pm
Mark Sfirri, a professor and renowned woodworker whose work is in the permanent collection of twenty-seven public institutions, explores the process of designing and engineering comfortable, attractive, structurally sound chairs, presenting various examples and solutions to the challenge of furniture design.
The Design, Sculpture, and Philosophy of Harry Bertoia
With Celia Bertoia Tuesday, April 23, 1 – 2 pm
Celia Bertoia, the youngest daughter of Harry Bertoia and the founder and director of the Harry Bertoia Foundation, presents an intimate look at the life and legacy of one of the world’s most profound designers and metalworkers. Known for explorations in visual and practical auditory and tactile art, Bertoia designed modern chairs for Knoll, welded over 50 public sculptures, shaped endless table top sculptures, etched thousands of monotypes and crafted hundreds of jewelry treasures.
Film Screenings
Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion
Free with Museum admission. Pre-registration suggested. Galleries remain open until 9 pm.
Who Gets to Call it Art? (2006) 80 minutes Thursday, April 4, 7:30
Centered on the life of Henry Geldzahler, the adventurous Metropolitan Museum of Art curator who championed the careers of Andy Warhol and his contemporaries, this film is a fascinating look at the birth of modern American art, including a trove of rare footage and insightful interviews. Featured artists include John Chamberlain, Francesco Clemente, Mark di Suvero, David Hockney, Ellsworth Kelly, Larry Poons, James Rosenquist and Frank Stella.
Greene & Greene: The Art of Architecture (2003) 60 minutes Thursday, April 11, 7:30 pm
During the heyday of the Arts and Crafts Movement in America, Charles and Henry Greene took an intensely artistic approach to the design of houses and interiors, creating some of the most beautiful residences in the history of domestic architecture. This film chronicles the lives of these remarkable brothers, featuring more than fifteen residences and exploring the Greenes' passionate interest in creating fully planned living environments.
I Am Known as an Artist - Wharton Esherick Documentary (2017) 41 minutes Thursday, April 25, 7:30 pm
Disinterested in conventional society, Wharton Esherick moved to rural Chester County outside Philadelphia in 1913, where he pursued the life of a painter only to discover his passion for wood. Over time he abandoned painting altogether, opting to produce furniture in his studio one piece at a time for the next 55 years. Revered as the “Dean of American Craftsmen,” he was pivotal in establishing the American studio furniture movement.
Registration information can be found at MichenerArtMuseum.org.
The Art of Seating: Two Hundred Years of American Design is generously supported by Visit Bucks County and Tom and Alycia Scannapieco. Additional support is provided by Barbara Donnelly Bentivoglio and Dr. Lamberto Bentivoglio, EwingCole, and Jane M. Yeuroukis, Inc., Interior Designs.
The Art of Seating is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, in collaboration with the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation and is toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.