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June 2009, vol.2, issue 6 A publication of the R. W. Norton Art Gallery |
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REMINDERS:
To visit the R. W. Norton Art Gallery website, go to http://www.rwnaf.org/.
The next First Saturday Tour, American Professionals, is at 2 p.m. on June 6, 2009.
The new exhibition The Stars and Stripes: Fabric of the American Spirit will run through July 26, 2009.
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Around the Gallery
Editor
Kristi Kohl
Contributors
Everl Adair
Gary D. Ford
Jennifer DeFratis
Kip DeHart
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Pablo Picasso once said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” At the Norton, we are reminded of this regularly by the interest and enthusiasm of young visitors who can’t wait to get back to their classrooms or homes to create their own version of what they’ve encountered here. Our tour and special events coordinator Jen DeFratis has several of these youthful masterpieces on her office bulletin board; as her tour inspired them, now they inspire her.
It’s not surprising then that many of the artists in our collection were also inspired by children. One of the most noteworthy of these is Thomas Sully. Though Sully was best-known as a portraitist of renowned men (like his portrait of Andrew Jackson on display in our American History Gallery) and society women, two of his paintings in the Norton feature children. The larger of these is one of the rare religious paintings in the museum, Christ Blessing the Little Children, and the other is the delightful Children Playing (both on display in our American Art History Galleries). The tenderness displayed in the first and the whimsy of the second were probably daily experiences in the Sully household. One of nine children himself, Sully learned painting from his brother-in-law Jean Belzons and his older brother Lawrence. Still living in Lawrence’s household when he died, Thomas took over the care of his family. When he and his sister-in-law Sarah decided to wed, they had to obtain a marriage license from North Carolina since their home state of Virginia forbade the marriage of in-laws. Not only did Thomas raise Lawrence’s three children, he and Sarah went on to have nine of their own! With twelve children gamboling around in the house, Sully no doubt identified with the words of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester: “Before I got married, I have six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.”
In the mid-19th century as genre painting became more popular, so did the depiction of children, often in a deliberately nostalgic or sentimental setting. Such is the case with Eastman Johnson’s The Christmas Letter. While young girls from a more affluent family pass by in the background, glancing over their shoulders and whispering, a young girl valiantly lifts her little brother so that he can place a letter in the mailbox, perhaps a letter to Santa Claus, or perhaps to an absent parent. In any case, our hearts hope for a generous Christmas for this gallant pair. A more tranquil and certainly warmer scene is depicted by Johnson’s fellow genre painter E.L. Henry in In a Cragsmoor Garden. Cragsmoor, New York was the site of a summer colony of artists, and the young lady wandering through the garden may well have been one of the small daughters of Eliza Greatorex, a well-known illustrator and close friend of Henry and his wife who often visited them at their summer cottage.
Ironically, one of the best-known painters of children never had any of her own. Mary Cassatt was born to a prominent Philadelphia family, but she eschewed marriage in favor of her career and spent virtually all of her adult life in France as one of the original Impressionists. While the movement is often associated with landscape painting because Claude Monet, the “father” of impressionist painting, preferred to paint en plein air in a single sitting, Cassatt, like other women of the movement, was prevented from wandering the countryside by a combination of societal constraints and a heavy and cumbersome wardrobe. Instead, like the other French Impressionists, she painted exactly what she saw on a daily basis – which for women was the domestic sphere. Hence, she became best known for her figurative paintings, drawings, and etchings of mothers and children, an example of which is Mother and Daughter, Both Wearing Large Hats ( on display in the American Art History Galleries). While the tender affection between parent and daughter is evident in the painting, it is not sentimentalized; instead, the mother, whose attention may seem to be wandering, nevertheless lightly restrains the eager child who almost leans out of the painting toward us, her large eyes brimming with curiosity and delight. It is a scene one can imagine being enacted on countless park benches around the world.
There are a number of other paintings in the Norton which celebrate children, including the winsome lass of Charles Ingham’s The Flower Girl, the Blackfoot family of Charles Marion Russell’s Three Generations, the legendary Magic Boy of Native American legend rendered in Cybis Porcelain, and the young lady trembling on the edge of womanhood in Rembrandt Peale’s Mary Clare Jacobs. Whatever the piece, they all serve to remind us of Herbert Hoover’s dictum, “Children are our most valuable natural resource.” We hope you’ll bring your children to meet ours.
Everl Adair, Director of Research and Rare Collections
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TIPS FROM KIP: Hibiscus
Just in time for summer, we’ve added a new bed of daylilies and two varieties of hibiscus. The daylilies are lovely, but the hibiscus, especially the hibiscus grandiflorus, really steal the show.
Commonly known as giant rose mallow, hibiscus grandiflorus is a relative to the native hibiscus found in Louisiana and other Gulf states. Writing in the The Southern Garden (http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/index.html), Dr. William C. Welch, Professor and Landscape Horticulturist at Texas A & M University, states that giant rose mallows are among “the most spectacular and easily grown plants” for use in a garden border. They sport the largest flower of any hardy perennial with some hybrids growing up to a foot in diameter. Blooms may appear in white, pink, crimson, and many other colors.
Our other variety, hibiscus mutabilis, or Confederate rose, tends to be shrubby or tree-like, and typically reaches heights of 8 feet. Its blooms also add changing color to your garden, depending upon the time of day. Welch notes that “flowers open white or pink, and change to deep red by evening.”
Here are some tips that may help you grow your own hibiscus:
1) Plant seeds in early spring if you want blooms by summer.
2) Select well-drained soil in full sun. Hibiscus, will however, tolerate partial shade and less than desirable soils.
3) Root favorite cultivars from cuttings during the growing season.
4) After the growing season, cut back old stems to a height of several inches above the ground.
“Few garden plants provide so much enjoyment for so little care,” Dr. Welch says of hibiscus. We hope you’ll come enjoy these beautiful hibiscus blooms at the Norton gardens. We may inspire you to purchase your own hibiscus at a local nursery for your garden!
Kip Dehart, Landscape Director
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OUT IN THE GARDENS: Azalea Cam
Want to see what’s happening in our garden right now? Go to our website, www.rwnaf.org, click on “Gardens,” then on “Azalea Cam.”
It’s the next best thing to being here, when you can see
what is in bloom and how the gardens have changed since your last visit. You’ll also notice what you’ll want to see on your next visit.
“Azalea Cam” displays between 15 and 20 views of various sites around the gardens, which it captures every hour between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mounted to a wall on the back of the gallery, the camera snaps images at predefined positions throughout the Norton landscape.
The panoramic view, which allows you to see the expanse of the gardens in one shot, is actually many snapshots “stitched” together. If you drag your mouse across the panoramic image, you can zoom in on smaller areas, too.
Keep watching the Azalea Cam, and you’ll see the constant changes taking place in the Norton gardens over time. These include seasonal changes of color and texture as well as the daily improvements our landscaping crew makes. Each day, the gardens grow taller, fuller, and brighter. Click on and watch! Then come see for yourself!
Kristi Kohl, Staff Researcher
Web Cam photos taken of Color Garden.
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VOICES FROM THE ARCHIVES: Frank Genova, Sergeant, U. S. Army
 Frank and Miriam Genova's Wedding Day, July 4, 1941
When we first landed in France on July 4, 1944, we were supposed to have established a beachhead. We were two miles in. That was it. The Germans were still in control. They didn’t even have time to pick up the bodies so when you sat down to eat the C-ration or whatever it was that you ate you sat down with dead bodies laying around you. This is contrary to anything and everything that you’ve ever been taught. So I didn’t eat for three weeks, not solid food. I did not. I didn’t want it. My body rebelled against it. I drank water. Then after three weeks my body and my mind adjusted to the fact where you either did that or you died. So you adjusted.
Frank A. Genova, a sergeant in demolitions in the 3rd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division, fought across France and into Germany. He is among more than 400 men and women from Shreveport and the surrounding area who graciously gave their time to tell us their life stories of service and sacrifice. We’re preserving those stories as part of our Oral History Project, an ongoing effort to interview members of the World War II generation, along with veterans of subsequent American conflicts. We also want to hear from eyewitnesses and participants in the civil rights struggle, as well as those who shaped the economical and cultural heritage of the city and the nation.
Click here to view additional photographs and to listen to the audio of the interview with Mr. Genova.
If you or someone you know would like to share stories with us, please call (318) 865-4201, or contact ohp@rwnaf.org.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Charles Marion Russell ran away from military school and hopped a train to Montana at the age of 16 to be a cowboy. He spent 11 years as a night wrangler, and absolutely loved it. Besides his cowboy abilities, he also possessed a fantastic talent for storytelling and drawing, although largely self-taught. Like other western artists, Charlie lived among the American Indians. He spent several summers with the Blackfoot tribe, and became an honorary son of tribal members.
Museum Staff
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Three Generations (Russell Watercolor Gallery) |
FEATURED ARTIST IN THE COLLECTION: Thomas Sully
Actors Matthew and Sarah Sully came to America from England with their nine children in 1792. Their son Thomas Sully (1783-1872) first trained as a miniature painter with his French brother-in-law and then his brother Lawrence, whose widow he later married. Having also studied face painting with noted artist Gilbert Stuart, Sully became best known for his portraits, but also occasionally produced historical works and charming genre paintings like Children Playing (American Art History Gallery).
Children Playing
Relatively few religious paintings were created by professional artists during the early period of the American republic, largely as a result of the Enlightenment’s emphasis on natural and political sciences rather than religion. Christ Blessing the Little Children (American Art History Gallery) is one of the exceptions. Sully was best known for his portraits, including one of Queen Victoria painted during a visit to England. The Norton currently displays two other portraits by Sully: Andrew Jackson in the American History Gallery and Blanche and Rosalie in the East Aisle of the main building. One of the best-known and most influential artists of the early 19th century, he completed more than 2,600 paintings in his life.
Everl Adair, Director of Research and Rare Collections
Christ Blessing the Little Children
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FEATURED ARTWORK IN THE COLLECTION: The Flower Girl by C. C. Ingham
Charles Cromwell Ingham (1797-1863) was born in Dublin, Ireland and trained there as an artist before immigrating to the United States in 1817. While still young, he gained a following as a leading portrait painter, specializing in young women and children, such as the young lady depicted in The Flower Girl, one of several paintings he did by the same title. From 1826 to 1845, Ingham produced more than 200 portraits of New York gentry, paying close attention to textures and details of dress. Although he is best known for his portraits of women and children, he painted many men as well. Ingham was one of the founders of the National Academy of Design, for which he also served as vice-president from 1825 until his death.
Everl Adair, Director of Research and Rare Collections
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FOR THE KIDS: Smalls Tours
With the idea that art should be accessible to people of all ages, the Norton crafted four special tours for the young (or young at heart). The Smalls Tours, as they are affectionately known, cater to pre-schoolers and children in the early elementary grades. The classic “introduction to art” tour can be found in Colorful Creations, where the theory of the color wheel is introduced with a reading of the charming children’s book illustrated by Eric Carle Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? For those more musically inclined, the Norton offers Musical Journeys, where artistic vocabulary and timeless children’s songs combine for a sweet stroll through our permanent collection. The Smalls Tours also offer two literature based storytelling endeavors: Wicked Villains and Louisiana Folktales. Though the title may be intense, Wicked Villains is wholly appropriate for little ones; using art as inspirations for the stories, our tales warn about the Hairy Man who lives in the Louisiana swamp, the Wicked Chief of Caddo Legend (using Native American sign language, of course), and even the Big Bad Wolf, who stops by (as a puppet) to tell HIS side of the story. Louisiana Folktales takes the region’s best animal fables and combines them with the paintings and sculptures found throughout the gallery.
From colors on canvas to stories with sculpture, the Smalls Tours offer an excellent initial encounter for wee ones. To schedule a Smalls Tour, contact Jennifer DeFratis at 318-865-4201 ext. 100.
Jennifer DeFratis, Tour and Special Events Coordinator
 
Jennifer DeFratis giving a Smalls Tour to some local elementary school children.
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FROM THE VAULTS: Hummell Figurines
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| Boots |
A Fair Measure |
Barnyard Hero |
Chicken Licken |
NOTE: Items featured in From the Vaults are currently not on display.
A girl from rurual Bavaria who grew up to become a nun also created one of the world’s most popular and beloved porcelain figurines. Sister Maria Innocentia Hummell, born in 1909 as Berta Hummel, grew up as the creative and energetic sister of five brothers and sisters. At 12, she studied art in watercolors and pastels at the Catholic Institute of English Sisters, a boarding school 20 miles from her home town. After graduating from the Institute, Berta moved to Munich and entered the Academy of Applied Arts. Despite her training in anatomy, portraiture, and fashion sketching, she continued to draw caricatures and scenes from her Bavarian childhood. Berta was invited to teach art at the Academy after she graduated in 1931. Instead, however, she decided to enter the Convent of Siessen, and began teaching art at a nearby girls’ school, St. Anna. Free to pursue her artwork, Berta, now known as Sister Maria Innocentia, continued to sketch children who surrounded her. Soon, admirers of her art brought her talents to the attention of Franz Groebel, owner of the German porcelain firm W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik. Groebel and Hummell agreed to create a line of porcelain figurines based on her drawings. Hummell figurines were introduced at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1935 and attracted much attention. Instantly popular, the figurines still rank among the world’s most beloved collectibles. Despite Sister Maria Innocentia’s unexpected death from tuberculosis in 1947, the artwork she left behind is still the basis for Hummell figurines. You can read more about the history of Hummell figurines at the M. I. Hummell website: http://www.mihummel.com/artistslife.asp.
Kristi Kohl, Staff Researcher
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WORTH QUOTING:
When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college – that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared at me, incredulous, and said, “You mean they forget?” --- Howard Ikemoto
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WORTH THE TRIP: Philadelphia Museum of Art
To begin with: no, I did not strike a pose and shout “Adrienne!” on the “Rocky” steps outside the Neoclassical facade of one of the world’s largest art museums. But I was sorely tempted. I had a single day to explore the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and I felt like I only saw a fraction of its collection. The main building houses over 200 galleries exhibiting 2,000 years of art from 6 continents, and that’s not including the new addition of the Perelman Building adjacent to the classic structure or the Rodin Museum just down the street. Visitors have a plethora of choices in how they wish to explore the museum: whether via guided tours offered every hour on the hour by dedicated docents, by a very reasonably priced audio tour, by a cell phone tour, or by a self-paced read-the-very-informative-information-panels-on-each-display relaxed meanderings. I chose both an audio tour and a guided tour.
The museum is a labyrinth, and so after entering the massive front doors on the east entrance, I climbed the grand staircase and found myself immersed in medieval weaponry and armor. I was looking for the world-renown Impressionist collection featuring works by Mary Cassatt and Claude Monet, but was delighted at my mistake and spent a good half-hour in a single gallery, enchanted by my audio tour. Quickly realizing I could not spend months in the museum exploring every nook and cranny, I moved on and entered a fully reconstructed medieval cloister, complete with burbling fountain. I had left a traditional museum space with glass cases and fluorescent lights and fallen through time to walk amongst and interact with the art. Ducking through other monastic doorways that led to the Museum’s medieval art collection, I wandered still further and discovered a Hindu temple, dramatically lit to highlight the Indian mythology associated with Vishnu. My surreal experience continued throughout the day, stumbling upon treasure after treasure from different cultures and time periods. It was extremely disorienting to leave the museum and re-enter 21st century society again.
I did find my 19th century European works, but I managed to miss the contemporary art exhibit, the Asian Art, and the Costumes & Textiles on display. However, I did find three gift shops and a lovely cafe. I also had an opportunity to explore the Museum’s exclusive Special Exhibition: Cezanne and Beyond, a brilliant homage to the post-impressionist master and his influence on subsequent modernist painters. Though the exhibition ended May 31st, the Philadelphia Art Museum does house a permanent collection of the works of Cezanne.
I strongly recommend a visit to this five star museum, but I would recommend getting there as soon as the doors open and plan to spend the entire day. Do take a taxi and wear really comfortable shoes to the museum, as you will wear yourself out walking throughout the massive space. Even though they see over a million visitors every year and the lobby was very busy when I entered, the crowds quickly disperse throughout the museum. I felt I had entire galleries to myself, like I had traveled off a “beaten path” and found exhibit that had been procured just for me, my own private collection. Just thinking about it now brings me a great sense of peace. Stella Adler said it best: “Life beats you down and crushes the soul. Art reminds you that you have one.”
Jennifer DeFratis, Tour and Special Events Coordinator
Philadelphia Museum of Art: 26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadephia, PA 19130. Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Adults $14, Seniors $12, Students $10, Children ages 13-18 $10, and Children 12 and under Free. For more information call (215) 763-8100 or see http://www.philamuseum.org.
 
Left: Jennifer DeFratis with museum employees dressed in colonial attire. Right: The Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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| EDUCATIONAL TOURS, PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS |
FIRST SATURDAY TOURS
Regularly scheduled tours are offered on the first Saturday of every month at 2:00 p.m. No reservation is required for these First Saturday Tours. Groups of 10 or more are asked to call ahead so preparations may be made to accommodate the group on these particular tours. All tours, like admission to the Gallery, are free to the public. The next First Saturday Tour on June 6th, is the American Professionals Tour. Since America was itself a work of creative imagination, it’s not surprising that the country has given birth to a number of innovative figures in various professions which we’ll explore through their depictions or inventions within our collection.
GROUP TOURS
Eighteen group tours are offered at the Norton ranging from the 19th Century French Art History Tour to the Cowboy Artists Tour. Group tours are available by appointment year-round for groups of 10-30 and last approximately 45 minutes.
OUTREACH PROGRAM
The purpose of the community Outreach Program is to take art and art education to people through interactive presentations. Community presentations consist of power point presentations to civic groups and schools.
For more information on the programs offered or to schedule a tour or presentation, click here.
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ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
The R.W. Norton Art Foundation is pursuing interviews with those who were involved in America's effort to win World War II, whether in the military or on the home front. Each interview will be digitally recorded by the Gallery to be stored and used for historical purposes, and each interview subject will also be given a copy of this recording to share and preserve his or her memories for family and friends.
If you are interested in participating in or would like more information about the Oral History Project, please click here.
SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS?
To offer us feedback or to suggest what you’d like to see in upcoming issues, please click here.
GALLERY LOCATION AND HOURS:
4747 Creswell Avenue
Shreveport, LA 71106
318-865-4201
www.rwnaf.org
Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays and National Holidays
Copyright © 2009 by R. W. Norton Art Gallery |
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