Spring Study: Seminars for Collectors
Unidentified artist, Farmstead in Passing Storm (detail), American, 1849. Watercolor, graphite and ink with paper additions at bottom. Gift of Maxim Karolik for the M. and M. Karolik Collection of American Watercolors and Drawings, 1800–1875.
Unidentified artist, Farmstead in Passing Storm (detail), American, 1849. Watercolor, graphite and ink with paper additions at bottom. Gift of Maxim Karolik for the M. and M. Karolik Collection of American Watercolors and Drawings, 1800–1875.
Join us Friday, May 10, 2024 for our Spring Study: Seminars for Collectors, exclusively for the Denman Waldo Ross Society. This special program, led by some of the Museum’s outstanding curators and conservators, celebrates our commitment to collecting, studying, and sharing art.
The day starts with a check-in and light breakfast from 9:30 to 10 am before the two seminar sessions and concludes with a luncheon from 12:30 to 2 pm.
Please RSVP by Wednesday, May 1, to RossSociety@mfa.org with your seminar choice for each of the two sessions. As we cannot guarantee your first seminar choice, please include one alternative seminar for each session. Space is limited to allow for close study of art objects—early registration is encouraged. Contact the Gifts of Art office at RossSociety@mfa.org with any questions.
Session One
10:15–11:15 am
Please select one preferred and one alternative seminar when you RSVP.
1A. Cacao and Yerba Maté: Silver in South America
Learn about silver cups from Argentina and Bolivia made specifically for the consumption of yerba maté and cacao—two commodities unique to the Americas. After exploring these objects, discover more about silversmithing in 19th-century South America through works rarely on view, including stirrups, flints, and more.
Lucía Abramovich Sanchéz, Carolyn and Peter Lynch Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture
1B. 100 Years of Photography at the MFA
This year the MFA celebrates the centennial of the landmark acquisition of photographs from Alfred Stieglitz, which established the MFA as one of the first museums in the United States to collect photography. Hear about the origins of the MFA’s photography collection and view a selection of our most significant works.
Anne Havinga, Estrellita and Yousuf Karsh Chair, Department of Photography
Kristin Gresh, Estrellita and Yousuf Karsh Senior Curator of Photographs
Karen Haas, Lane Senior Curator of Photographs
1C. In the Context of Care: New Acquisitions of Contemporary Art
Explore fascinating new acquisitions in “Tender Loving Care: Contemporary Art from the Collection” with Ian Alteveer, Beal Family Chair, Department of Contemporary Art. Observe a variety of media that utilize the concept of care and see how these works relate to long-established collections at the MFA.
Ian Alteveer, Beal Family Chair, Department of Contemporary Art
Session Two
11:25 am–12:25 pm
Please select one preferred and one alternative seminar when you RSVP.
2A. Democracy and Visual Culture
From ancient coins to contemporary prints, ideas about democracy—defined as rule by the people—have long been embedded in visual culture. Enjoy an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the planning of an upcoming and unannounced exhibition that brings together works from 500 BCE to today and discover how works of art have shaped and been shaped by democracy.
Phoebe Segal, Mary Bryce Comstock Curator of Greek and Roman Art
Patrick Murphy, Lia and William Poorvu Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings
2B. Beverly Buchanan and Harriet Powers: Art and Community
Beverly Buchanan was a community health worker who created drawings, sculpture, and earthworks that reflect the lives of the people she served in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Harriet Powers was a mother, wife, and community leader in Athens, Georgia, who is well known for her visionary quilts. Explore the history of the MFA’s Folk Art collection by examining the creative expression in the works of Buchanan and Powers.
Michael Bramwell, Joyce Linde Curator of Folk and Self-Taught Art
Jennifer Swope, David and Roberta Logie Curator of Textiles
2C. Van Gogh’s Roulin Portraits: A Fresh Look at the Postman and La Berceuse
Van Gogh’s Postman Joseph Roulin (1888) and Lullaby: Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle (La Berceuse) (1889) are among the most beloved paintings in the MFA’s collection. In preparation for the upcoming exhibition Van Gogh and the Roulin Family, conservators and conservation scientists employed the latest technology to examine, image, and analyze the two portraits. Join the researchers and conservators in the Museum’s Conservation Center for an intimate look at the paintings and discover the results of their studies.
Richard Newman, head of scientific research
Erin Mysak, Schorr Family Associate Research Scientist
Lydia Vagts, conservator, paintings