April 29, 2010
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Elena Ivanova, Chief Educator
409.886.ARTS (2787)
Stark Museum to Host Free Roundtable Discussion of the Book The Tulip
ORANGE, Texas, TBD. The Stark Museum of Art will host a roundtable discussion titled The Tulip Allure in Art and Horticulture, based on the bestseller The Tulip by Anna Pavord, on Tuesday, May 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The discussion will be held in the lobby of the Stark Museum, followed by viewing of the exhibition Blooms: Floral Art in the Stark Collections. A panel will lead discussion, which will include such topics as connections between art, botany, economics, cultural history and social issues. Light refreshments will be offered during the program. This event is organized in collaboration with Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.
The panel will be moderated by Andy Coughlan, Editor of ISSUE arts magazine, exhibiting artist and Assistant Director of Student Publications at Lamar University. The panelists include Mary Baswell, English major and current McNair Scholar at Lamar University; Jason Duncan, B.A. (English), senior McNair Scholar at Lamar University; Holly Hanson, B.S. (Plant Science and Horticulture), Volunteer Coordinator/Tour Coordinator at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center; Scott Hasty, master florist at J SCOTTS AFLORIST; Ann Hoffpauir, artist; Dr. Elena Ivanova, Chief Educator at the Stark Museum of Art; Michael Saar, Assistant Professor and Reference Librarian at the Mary & John Gray Library of Lamar University; and Dr. Seven J. Zani, Associate Professor of English and Chair of English and Modern Languages at Lamar University. The panel will invite audience participation.
The Tulip by Anna Pavord is available for purchase at the stores of the Stark Museum of Art and Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.
“We are looking forward to seeing many members of the community at this discussion. Pavord’s book has something to say to people of various interests, from art and history to gardening and economics. We encourage people to read the book prior to the discussion, however, if you haven’t, come anyway and hear the exciting story of tulip in Europe from our diverse group of panelists, who will discuss the book from the perspective of their professional backgrounds,” commented Elena Ivanova, Chief Educator.
The roundtable discussion is scheduled to celebrate International Museum Day. Museum Day is observed internationally to recognize that museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples. The theme for 2010 is “Museums and Social Harmony” and acknowledges that museums are in position to address the urgent need for safeguarding cultural diversity and bio-diversity as the common heritage of humanity.
Located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, the Stark Museum of Art is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission is free. Group tours are available by appointment. For more information call 409.886.ARTS (2787) or visit
www.starkmuseum.org.
Philip Reinagle (1749-1833), artist
Robert John Thornton (1768-1837), author
Tulips
1799-1807, mezzotint, aquatint, stipple and line engraving on paper, color and hand-coloring
In Temple of Flora
21 7/8 x 17 3/4 inches
11.66.1
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.
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.
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