Happy Thanksgiving
What is a more common symbol of Thanksgiving than a turkey? It’s an oft-quoted myth that Ben Franklin (1706-1790) wanted the American wild turkey as the bird for the national seal of the US. He ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
Artist Birthday: George Bellows
George Bellows was a member of the group who called themselves The Eight, whom critics derogatorily dubbed “Ash Can School.” Those artists revolutionized subject matter in American paintin ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
World Watercolor Month: Ann Hall
I have mentioned my trepidation about using watercolors before, and how I find it to be a very unforgiving medium. The fact that there have been and still are such brilliant watercolor artists justifi ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
Visualizing Cold in Works of Art
It probably does not need saying by now, but the last week has been quite cold in New England. I thought it might be interesting to see how artists visually interpret the idea of “cold.”&n ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
Emancipated Artist: Moses Williams
In honor of Juneteenth this week, I present an earlier experience of emancipation—that of artist Moses Williams. When he was 9 years old, Williams’s parents were emancipated. At the time, ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
Black History Month: Gee's Bend Quilter
African American artists have had a tremendous influence on the miscellaneous arts in America since before the Civil War (1861–1865). The women of the Gee’s Bend community in Alabama have ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
National Meat Week 2024
National Meat Week, a celebration founded in 2005 by Chris Cantey and Erni Walker in Tallahassee, Florida, goes from 28 January to 4 February this year. It is meant to be a celebration of feastin ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
October Is National Apple Month: Levi Wells Prentice
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate National Apple Month than with one of THE most incredible paintings I’ve ever seen on the subject. The first time I saw this painting by Levi Wel ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
An American Original: Charles Willson Peale
In England’s American colonies, it was natural for colonial artists who were eager for a vital school of painting of their own to look to British art for inspiration. By the time of the American ...
Read More
Curator's Corner
Thanksgiving Week 2022: John F. Francis Still Life
I don’t usually attend a large buffet-style Thanksgiving dinner, but I always observe the underlying reason for Thanksgiving: being grateful. Among the many things I am grateful for—a ...
Read More
