Thorne Gallery Presents American Decorative Arts and Dublin Art Colony Exhibits
KEENE, N.H. 5/16/03 -American decorative arts and Dublin Art Colony artists will be showcased in two exhibits this summer at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College.
“Selections from the Collection” features art from the Dublin Art Colony, which flourished around Mount Monadnock at the turn of the 20th century. The Thorne’s permanent collection has several works by nationally recognized artists from the Dublin Colony including Barry Faulkner, Alexander James, Aimée Lamb, Richard Meryman, William Preston Phelps, and Joseph Lindon Smith. This exhibition, which will include other artwork from the Thorne’s permanent collection, will open Saturday, May 31.
The Gallery has a campaign to acquire a broader representation of the highest quality work by this prolific group of 30 artists from the Dublin Art Colony - especially works by Frank Weston Benson, George de Forest Brush, Rockwell Kent, Lilla Cabot Perry, and Edward Tarbell. The Thorne is actively seeking donations of art and contributions to enable the purchase of artwork to enhance its Dublin Art Colony holdings.
“Cultural Collectibles in America,” which will open Saturday, June 14, centers on the many American decorative arts collected by Harrisville resident Léandre Poisson, including objects on loan from the Historical Society of Cheshire County and the Horatio Colony Museum. American decorative arts that reflect the culture of the 1920s, 1930s, and beyond are highlighted. This exhibition complements Chautauqua 2003, “Between the Wars: America in the Twenties and Thirties,” to be held July 24-26 at Keene State College. “Cultural Collectibles in America” is supported by a grant for the N.H. Humanities Council, the organizer of Chautauqua. Léandre Poisson will give a guided tour through the exhibit at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Thorne gallery.
This is the second exhibit of Poisson’s collection at the Thorne; however, “Cultural Collectibles in America” will display different items than those shown in the fall 2001 exhibit “American Vision: The Democratization of Design in the 20th Century.” Poisson is teaching a summer class at Keene State College on the history of 20th-century American design.
“Cultural Collectibles in America” and “Selections from the Collection” will be exhibited through Saturday, Aug. 6. During the summer, the Thorne Gallery is open noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. The gallery is closed Thursday and Friday and July 3-6 for Independence Day.
All exhibits, receptions, and programs are free and open to the public. Located on Wyman Way on the Keene State campus, the gallery is accessible to people with disabilities. For information, call 603-358-2720 or visit www.keene.edu/tsag.
