fayettevillearts.org

Don’t miss Lunchtime movie @ the Massey! Friday, June 26 Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Next Friday, we will present the documentary, Jean Draper, which is a fascinating glimpse into an embroidery artist’s studio practice.  In the film Ms. Draper shares the various phases of experimentation and labor that go into a work, from those germinating bits of inspiration that start the process to the technical experiments in surface manipulation that make the work complete.  Art lovers and artists of all sorts will be interested in this film!

Jean Draper is immediate past national Chairman of the Embroiderers’ Guild (in the UK).  She regards serving the Guild and helping to promote the subject of embroidery to Members and to wider audiences as a great privilege.  First and foremost a hand stitcher, Jean feels it is natural, but never commonplace, to have a needle and thread in her hand.  Draper says, “The rhythm of the stitch – the gesture – is a very important aspect in the making of my work.  I would describe the stitching as an intensely physical activity, the actual process being as important as the finished work.”

Travelling extensively in the American Southwest has shaped the content of her work, derived from studying the landscape in that region.  “The land, shaped by natural elements, is also affected by generations of people who lived, worked and left their marks upon it.  I make reference to both the early inhabitants and the physical features of the land.  The use of stitched lettering in some work, where relevant words are repeated to make a complete surface composed of text, has become important in recent pieces. After stitching, work is treated with clay slip, paint and sandpaper,” she explains.

For more information on this and other amazing artists and artwork, go to: http://www.practicalstudygroup.co.uk/members/jdraper/jdraper.html

originally posted at http://www.crystalbridges.org/Blog/?id=61

Northwest Arkansas, June 22, 2009 – Treasured objects and artifacts held by the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale, Arkansas and the permanent collections of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  IMLS has now awarded almost 3,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf, in cooperation with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).

“With some 50,000 objects in our collections, more than half a million historic images – the largest such collection in Arkansas – a large research library, and seven historic buildings,” explains Allyn Lord, Shiloh Museum director, “the staff of the Shiloh Museum are continually working to preserve and upgrade our collections care.  The IMLS Bookshelf award definitely helps us to do that.”

“The Crystal Bridges collection is central to our purpose and potential,” said Chris Crosman, Crystal Bridges’ chief curator.  “The Collections Bookshelf award provides roadmaps and best practices for the ongoing care of our collections, thereby ensuring access and enjoyment to future generations of museum visitors.”

“When IMLS launched this initiative to improve the dire state of our nation’s collections, we understood that the materials gathered for the Bookshelf would serve as important tools for museums, libraries, and archives nationwide,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of IMLS. “We were both pleased and encouraged by the overwhelming interest of institutions prepared to answer the call to action, and we know that with their dedication, artifacts from our shared history will be preserved for future generations.”

Shiloh Museum and Crystal Bridges will receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for the care of its collections. The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries’ special
collections, with an added selection of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens, and nature centers. It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.

The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a conservation initiative that the Institute launched in 2006. IMLS began the initiative in response to a 2005 study it released in partnership with Heritage Preservation, A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America’s Collections. The multi-faceted, multi-year initiative shines a nationwide spotlight on the needs of America’s collections, especially those held by smaller institutions, which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to adequately care for their collections.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

About Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Crystal Bridges is envisioned as a premier national art institution dedicated to American art and artists, learning and community gatherings. The museum takes its name from the unique glass-and-wood building design, created for the natural setting by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. The entire complex will encompass approximately 100,000 square feet of gallery, library, meeting, and office space, a Great Hall, areas for outdoor concerts and public events, as well as sculpture and walking trails.

The museum will house a permanent collection of masterworks from American artists along with galleries dedicated to Native American and regional art and artists. The growing permanent collection is composed of paintings and sculptures by American artists from the Colonial Period through the modern era. In addition to the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions drawn from national institutions will be displayed in the museum. The 100-acre site of the museum complex and cultural center is located in Bentonville, Arkansas. For more information about Crystal Bridges, visit www.crystalbridges.org.

About the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History is a free, regional museum dedicated to the history of the Arkansas Ozarks.  Since 1968 the museum has developed and provided resources to engage, inform, and inspire on-site and virtual visitors alike in the exploration of the Arkansas Ozarks.  Inviting exhibits walk visitors through regional history from the earliest native inhabitants to the exciting growth in Northwest Arkansas today.  Interactive and hands-on features entertain both the young and young-at-heart.  Changing exhibits and a photo gallery provide new and innovative approaches to local history.  The museum’s heart is the research library which offers a wealth of resource and study materials, as well as the largest collection
of historic images in the state, to researchers, genealogists, writers, students and teachers, and the media.  Illustrated talks, outreach presentations, onsite tours, curriculum-driven programs, loanable discovery boxes, and teacher in-service trainings are offered through the museum’s active education department.  The collections department accepts, researches, and cares for donations of historic materials which serve to more fully tell the story of the Arkansas Ozarks.

Along with a modern museum center which houses the exhibits, library, collections, museum store, educational spaces, and staff offices, the Shiloh Museum campus includes more than two wooded acres which served as the original Shiloh town site. (Shiloh was the name of the original community which is known today as Springdale.)  Seven historic buildings on the grounds, along with walking paths and picnic tables, invite visitors to explore and take respite in a place reminiscent of less hectic times, while still in the middle of downtown Springdale.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed only on Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Day.  There is no charge for admission.  For more information call 479-750-8693 or shiloh@springdalear.gov.