October 8, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah E. Boehme
Director, Stark Museum of Art
sboehme@starkmuseum.org
409.886.ARTS (2787)
ORANGE, Texas, October 8, 2008 – The Stark Museum of Art will reopen to the public on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The Museum, which closed to the public due to considerations relating to Hurricane Ike, will remain closed until November 4 to undertake improvements to the facility that are unrelated to the hurricane.
According to Director Sarah E. Boehme, the Stark Museum of Art is in the process of remodeling its public restrooms to meet current guidelines for accessibility. “Since the Museum is already closed due to the hurricane and Museum staff had de-installed exhibits on the first floor, this is an ideal time to proceed with plans for renovating the restrooms,” Boehme explained. “We hope that our audience will be minimally inconvenienced by the extended closing. This presents the best opportunity for protecting our collections from any possible construction effects as well as ensuring the convenience of our visitors.”
When the Museum reopens on November 4, it will extend the showing of the major portion of its special exhibition, Thirtieth Anniversary Treasures: Unseen Works from the Stark Collection. That exhibition had been officially slated to close October 29, 2008. Boehme explained, “We will be able to reinstall most of the works of art from that exhibition and continue it until January 6, 2009. Visitors will be able to see the Thomas Moran painting of Venice, Italy; the Grandma Moses scenes of rural life; and other masterworks. A few works will be omitted so the Museum will be able to proceed with plans to exhibit our medieval Books of Hours beginning November 20.”
In coordination with the reopening date the Stark Museum of Art will reschedule its Fall Family Day for Saturday, November 8. Another projected event, a presentation by Dr. Julie Schimmel that was originally scheduled for October 25, will be rescheduled to occur at a date in the future.
The Museum closed to the public to implement its hurricane plan with respect to Hurricane Ike and had previously closed and then reopened in relation to Hurricane Gustav. Although the downtown area of the City of Orange experienced flooding from Hurricane Ike, the floodwaters did not enter the Stark Museum. The Stark Museum of Art maintained climate control at all times during the storm through power from its generator until power was restored.
For updates and further information, visit www.starkmuseum.org or call 409.886.ARTS.
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 the twentieth century artistic colonies in New Mexico. Artists include John James Audubon, Frederic Remington, and Charles Marion Russell.
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 and the Union.
Located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, the Stark Museum of Art is a program of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a non-profit organization. Admission is free. For more information call 409.886.ARTS (2787) or visit www.starkmuseum.org.
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