December 12, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Sarah Boehme, Director
409.886.ARTS (2787)
sboehme@starkmuseum.org
Stark Museum of Art Presents Holiday Exhibit Celebration on Two Evenings
ORANGE, Texas, December 8, 2011 - The Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas, will host a Holiday Exhibit Celebration on Tuesday, December 13, and Thursday, December 15, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. each night. The special exhibit Medieval Manuscripts: From the Stark Collections, which features illustrated manuscripts from the Middle Ages, will be open and the focus of various spotlight presentations throughout the evening. Local music groups will entertain guests and light refreshments will be served.
The Books of Hours in this exhibition are turned to pages that highlight Christmas imagery, including Adoration of the Magi. Dating from the fifteenth to the early sixteenth century, each Book of Hours was painted by hand with rich decorative details by French, Dutch and Flemish artists.
On Tuesday, December 13, the Lone Star Pipe Band will perform traditional Celtic music on the pipes, drums and the guitar. The musicians of the Lone Star Pipe Band, with Jeff Courts serving as Pipe Major, will perform traditional Scottish and Irish music on the highland bagpipes and drums, alternated with ballads played on guitar.
On Thursday, December 15, band students from Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School will play holiday music. Students, under the direction of Steve Schoppert, will perform in small ensembles and give historical introductions to their selections.
On both evenings, docent Sue Rathburn will give spotlights on "The Medieval Reader of the Book of Hours" at 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. In addition, Amelia Wiggins, Educator for Public Programs, will give spotlights on "Making a Manuscript" at 6:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each night.
"We invite everyone to join in our holiday celebrations. These are such special occasions with the stirring music of the Pipe Band and the joyous presentations from the young musicians. The gallery spotlights give us a glimpse into the past and highlight the wonderful accomplishments of medieval artists who portrayed their faith," said Sarah Boehme, Director.
This event is free to the public. Light refreshments will be served in the lobby and visitors will be delighted to see the installation of the exhibition which includes a tablet computer holding images of other pages of the manuscripts. Visitors can simulate turning the manuscript pages and will see the miniatures projected and enlarged on the gallery wall. Also, the Museum Store will be open and will feature the Museum's 2011 Christmas ornament and holiday card. In observation of the holidays, visitors may bring a new, unwrapped toy to be given to a child through the Blue Santa program.
"The Museum always welcomes children; we remind parents that children under the age of twelve need to be accompanied by an adult," said Boehme.
The Museum's celebration is scheduled in coordination with The W.H. Stark House's Holiday Open House, also on December 13 and 15 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, the Stark Museum of Art is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. The Museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The Museum will close at 2 p.m. on New Year's Eve Day. Group tours are available by appointment. For more information call 409.886.ARTS (2787) or visit www.starkmuseum.org.
Unknown Artist, French, Adoration of the Magi (open book), Book of Hours, Use of Paris, c. 1510, paint, gold and ink on vellum, 6.25 x 4.25 in., Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas, 11.900.4.
Members from The Lone Star Pipe Band of Beaumont will be on hand Tuesday, December 13 during the Holiday Exhibit Celebration.
Band members from the Little Cypress-Mauriceville high school band will perform holiday musical selections on Thursday, December 15 during the Holiday Exhibit Celebration.
For larger or hi-resolution art, contact Amanda Adams at aadams@starkfoundation.org.
About the Stark Museum of Art
The Stark Museum of Art focuses on the stunning land, the dramatic people and the diverse wildlife of the American West. Paintings, sculpture and prints interpret the West from nineteenth century frontier artists to twentieth century artistic colonies in New Mexico. Artists include John James Audubon, Frederic Remington, Charles Marion Russell, and Georgia O'Keeffe.
The Museum also features a significant collection of American Indian objects, including baskets, pottery, clothing and weavings. Other permanent collections in the Museum include the complete porcelain American Bird Series by Dorothy Doughty and the only complete series of The United States in Crystal, a collection of crystal urns produced by Steuben Glass to depict the 50 states of the Union.
The Stark Museum of Art is a program of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private operating foundation whose other programs include the Frances Ann Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, and The W.H. Stark House.