Monthly Calendar

64th Annual Antiques Forum—“Freshest Advices”: Recent Discoveries in American Decorative Arts. You are invited to learn about the latest breakthroughs from the experts at the 64th annual Colonial Williamsburg Antiques Forum, "Freshest Advices": Recent Discoveries in American Decorative Arts. The Forum features respected authorities on the extraordinary furniture, silver, textiles, paintings, and ceramics that were produced in or for colonial and Federal America. More than twenty curators, collectors, and historians will impart their findings through a series of fully illustrated lectures and video-assisted workshops. Registration is required. For more information: Colonial Williamsburg, 800-hist or y.

February 24 to February 26 in Crossville, Tennessee:

Antiques on the Mountain—5th annual show with nearly 40 antique dealers from several states, all with very high quality period antiques, primitives, vintage collectibles, antique furniture, exquisite furnishings, unique decorative accessories and outstanding collectibles. At the Fairgrounds. For more information: Antiques on the Mountain, (931) 456-5035.

February 25 to February 26 in Statesville, North Carolina:

Living History Weekend—The 252nd Anniversary of the attack on Fort Dobbs will include
historic interpreters presenting musket and cannon firing demonstrations as well as on-going demonstrations of 18th Century camp life. Special evening musket and cannon firing at 6pm Saturday. For more information: Fort Dobbs, (704) 873-5882.

OPENINGS

February 23 to May 28 in Portland, Maine:

Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist—The first comprehensive exhibition in the history of the Museum devoted to the 19th-century French master Edgar Degas and his works on paper. Comprised of more than 70 drawings, prints, pastels, and photographs as well as several sculptures, the exhibition will provide an insightful exploration of the oeuvre of one of the most skilled and complex artists in art history. In addition to masterworks by Degas, the exhibition will include a select group of 17 rare works on paper by artists of his circle, including captivating works by Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. For more information: Portland Museum of Art, (207) 775-6148.

ON-GOING EXHIBITIONS

Now through October 1 in Salem, Massachusetts:

Written on the Waves—The exhibition highlights the log books of 18th-Century sea captains as they voyaged around the world and recorded details of their adventures. Also displayed are journals, orders books, letters, and commonplace books. In the Mifflin Gallery. For more information: Peabody Essex Museum, (866) 745-1876.

Now through December 31 in Williamsburg, Virginia:

Fashion Accessories from Head to Toe—This exhibition features costume accessories from the late 17th through the early 19th century. Women and men enhanced their appearance with the addition of hats, purses, jewelry, shoes, and more. At the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum. For more information: Colonial Williamsburg

Now through March 10 in Lexington, Massachusetts:

Inspired by Fashion: American Masonic Regalia—This new exhibition uses clothing and images from the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library collection to trace the inspiration behind Masonic regalia and costume. Each section explores a different source — contemporary fashion, the military, Orientalism, and theater — to show the connections between everyday style and fraternal fashion. For more information: National Heritage Museum, (781) 861-6559.

Now through March 31 in Montpelier Station, Virginia:

Dressing the Part Exhibit—Visit Monpelier to see Dolley Madisons Life Through Fashion, the costumes from the PBS documentary Dolley Madison, Americas First Lady. Explore the meaning of fashion to the woman who inspired the title First Lady. For more information: James Madisons Montpelier, (540) 672-2728.

Now through July 8 in Youngstown, Ohio:

Memories of Christmas Past—Each year the first floor period rooms of the Arms Family Museum are decorated with rare, one-of-a-kind, vintage holiday decorations from the early 1800s through the 1960s. Nestled against the backdrop of a historic mansion built in 1905 in the Arts and Crafts style, “Memories of Christmas Past” allows visitors a nostalgic stroll through a winter wonderland as they recall their own fond Christmas memories. Vintage decorations on display include rare collectibles from the permanent collections of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, as well as one-of-a-kind items on loan from private collectors. For more information: Arms Family Museum of Local History, (330) 743-2589.

Now through July 15 in Morristown, New Jersey:

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum- The Original Thomas Nast Exhibit—In the second floor Thomas Nast gallery the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum presents more than fifteen examples of original images from the second half of the nineteenth century with the exhibit The Original Thomas Nast. A generous loan by a Nast descendant of original artwork has allowed the Museum to showcase a variety of Nast’s works—from an original oil painting to a copper engraving plate. These rarely viewed paintings and drawings represent a significant departure from traditional perspectives on Nast, and display an aspect of Thomas Nast’s talent that has generally not been recognized—or, more to the point, seen. Thomas Nast (1840-1902) was America’s leading political cartoonist in the nineteenth century. From the studio in his Morristown, NJ home, Nast created many famous images such as Columbia, Christmas scenes, and life on the battlefield. Nast is known primarily for the many images that he published in Harper’s Weekly from about 1859 to 1887. In addition to his drawings that were ultimately transformed into engravings in nineteenth century newspapers, Nast also painted, drew with pen and ink, and sketched in pencil and crayon. After an illustrious career in which Nast was instrumental in shaping American political opinion through his cartoons, he shifted focus to painting in his later years. These original pieces of artwork are often very difficult to find, which makes Macculloch Hall’s exhibit, The Original Thomas Nast, particularly unique. The themes illustrated in the images represent important characters popularized by Nast, including his iconic Miss Columbia, Dame Britannia and depictions from the battlefield. As a young adult in l860, Nast was sent by The Illustrated London News and the New York Illustrated News to follow Giuseppe Garibaldi in his war to create a unified Italian nation. On a lighter note, the exhibit also includes two Christmas images, which Nast loved to draw. It was Nast who helped create the modern American image of Santa Claus. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is proud to offer this exciting exhibit of original works by Thomas Nast. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibits, and educational and cultural programs. The Museum is open for house and exhibit tours Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. The last tickets for admission are sold at 3 p.m. Admission is 6.00 Adults, 5.00 Seniors, Students 12 years and under and museum members are free. For more information: Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, (973) 538-2404.

Now through May 28 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts:

By the Fireside: Decorating the New England Parlor Hearth 1799-1840—The new exhibit celebrates the unique art of the parlor hearth. The parlor was the public face of the home, where familes entertained guests and spent leisure hours. The hearth, a source of warmth and light, was the focal point of the parlor. Rare overmantel paintings, fireboards, hearth rugs, andirons, hearth tools and delicatley painted bellows will be on display together for the first time. For more information: Old Sturbridge Village, (800) 733-1830.

Now through June 3 in Boston, Massachusetts:

Embroideries of Colonial Boston—The embroideries of colonial Boston girls and women have long been treasured family possessions and are now much sought after by collectors. The charm and craftsmanship of the Adam and Eve samplers, pastoral pictures as well as crewelwork bed hangings and delicately embroidered baby caps bring to mind a warm domesticity; however, as a group they also reveal much about the lives of Boston women and their role within colonial society. This is the third in a series of three exhibitions that focuses on the embroideries of colonial Boston and features embroidered furnishing textiles and fashionable accessories. The exhibition examines how Boston’s women and young ladies utilized the needlework skills they learned in their classes to decorate their homes and keep up with fashion. For more information: Museum of Fine Arts, (617) 267-9300.

Now through July 29 in Willaimsburg, Virginia:

Art in Clay—Masterworks of North Carolina Earthenware is a ground-breaking exhibit featuring approximately 120 pieces of decorated slipware, sculptural bottles, refined creamware and faience, reflecting the beginning of North Carolina’s earthenware potters, and their rich artistic legacy. The exhibit also includes pottery shards and molds that were used to create the bottles. In the the Gladys & Franklin Clark Foundation Gallery at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum For more information: Colonial Williamsburg

Now through September 30 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina:

“Our Spirited Ancestors”: The Decorative Art of Drink—From imported Madeira sipped at mahogany tables to local whisky sipped from redware jugs, early Southerners drank nearly twenty gallons of alcohol annually. This exhibit explores the furniture, silver, ceramics, and glassware that enhanced the days and nights of early Southerners. In the G. Wilson Douglas Jr. Gallery at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Old Salem. For more information: The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, (336) 721-7372.

Now through April 22 in Charleston, South Carolina:

Botanical Quilts: Chintz Appliqué in the 19th Century—Charleston has a long and venerable quilt making history. One of the most stunning techniques, broderie perse or chintz appliqué, consisted of fabulous floral and botanical printed fabrics imported from India, England and Europe. The quilt was made by cutting up these luxurious textiles and then reapplying the motifs to a larger fabric, carefully stitching around each element. Botanical Quilts examines the many different botanically-inspired quilts that graced the beds of Lowcountry residents throughout the 19th century. For more information: The Charleston Museum, (843) 722-2996.

Now through March 12 in Charleston, South Carolina:

Coat Check—This exhibit features historic outerwear - coats, capes, cloaks, shawls, jackets - worn in Charleston in the past 200 years. From fur coats to delicate embroidered shawls, these garments were the finishing touch on a fashionable outfit. Even in the moderate Lowcountry climate, the winter months required a warm cover-up and fall or spring evenings might have needed a lighter wrap. Coat Check explores men’s, women’s and children’s outerwear with an eye to fashion as well as practicality. For more information: The Charleston Museum, (843) 722-2996.

Now through August 15 in Williamsburg, Virginia:

The 17th Century: Gateway to the Modern World—The exhibit will explore developments beginning in the 15th century that set in motion the transition from the "old" world to the new globally connected world. Seventy artifacts from European, Asian and African cultures - oil and watercolor paintings, etchings and engravings, needlework, and decorative and utilitarion objects of ceramic, wood and metal - will come from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for the exhibition. In Jamestown Settlement’s special exhibition gallery. For more information: Jamestown Settlement, (888) 593-4682.

Now through May 6 in Charleston, South Carolina:

Fashion Plates: Illustrating History’s Latest Styles, 1760s-1920s—Once the most important resource for current styles, fashion plates are now a valuable source for historic research. These plates appeared in many publications, such as Godey’s Lady’s Book, La Belle Assemblée, Les Modes Parisiennes and Ackermann’s Repository of Arts among others. Essentially, fashion plates did not exist before the French Revolution began in 1789, though the Museum does have several rare hand-tinted fashion illustrations dating to the 1760s. For many years, these images would be the arbiters of elegance. Dress makers or even amateur home-sewers would use the illustration as their guide, dress patterns were not widely available until the latter half of the 19th century. Fashion Plates will exhibit a range of examples held in the Museum Archives and pair select examples with fashion accessories from the textiles collection. For more information: The Charleston Museum, (843) 722-2996.

Now through May 28 in New York, New York:

The Coe Collection of American Indian Art—Drawn from works given and bequeathed to The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Ralph T. Coe (1929 – 2010) from a collection that was a half century in the making, the exhibition is comprised of some 40 objects that span a period from several millennia BCE to the year 2001 and are made in materials that vary widely, from stone to ceramic to animal hide. In the The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas Special Exhibition Gallery, first floor. For more information: The Metropolitan Museum of ARt, (212) 535-7710.

Now through February 24 in Newport, Rhode Island:

Their Manners Pleasing, & Their Education Complete: Newport Samplers 1728-1835 plers—The exhibit, featuring 18th and early 19th century samplers from the Newport Historical Society’s textiles collection, reflects the evolution of Newport needlework over the course of a century and includes examples of the different types of samplers that a girl might produce during her lifetime. Newport samplers are well-known for their lively and distinctive designs and many fine examples will be exhibited. Admission, 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday, is by donation. Closed major holidays. For more information: Newport Historical Society, (401) 846-0813.

Now through April 27 in San Diego, California:

Design in Wood - Call for Entries—Call for entries for the Annual Design in Wood Exhibition held during the San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, from Friday, June 8th through Wednesday, July 4th will be available in January 2012. The theme for the 2012 event is "Space". The competition is open to all woodworkers. For more information: San Diego Fine Woodworkers Assoc., (619) 422-7338.

Now through April 29 in Salem, Massachusetts:

Shapeshifting—Transformations in Native American Art is an exhibit that features apporximately 80 works from public and private collections that explores Native American art from 200 B.C.E. to the present. For more information: Peabody Essex Museum, (978) 745-9500.

Now through October 14 in Washington, District of Columbia:

Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty—Monticello and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) present this new exhibition in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. By exploring Jefferson’s ideas and slavery at his plantation, Monticello and NMAAHC are examining one of the most difficult topics in American history. The exhibition will explore how the paradox of slavery in Jefferson’s world, and at Monticello, is relevant for generations beyond Jefferson’s lifetime. It will provide a glimpse into the lives of six slave families living at Monticello. For more information: Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

Now through February 29 in Charles City, Virginia:

Romantic Tours and Love Letters—Hear about the 18th century art of courting which depended on passionate prose. Enjoy stories of old time courtships, wedding ceremonies, and even pen your own love letter. Visitors can also read copies of original letters from Shirley’s archives, including love letters written by Hill Carter, hero of the War of 1812 and many couples from eleven generations of the Hill Carter family. This is the only time these letters will be on display. For more information: Shirley Plantation, (800) 232-1613.

Now through July 31 in Worcester, Pennsylvania:

Exhibit: Three Centuries of Quilting—Bed quilts and other quilted items dating from the 18th through the 20th century will be on display throughout the historic house and the visitors center. For more information: Peter Wentz Farmstead Society, (610) 584-5104.

Now through March 24 in Deerfield, Massachusetts:

Open Hearth Cooking Classes—Historic Deerfield will offer instruction in open hearth cooking for those who are interested in historic foodways and hearth management. A series of seven one-day classes has been scheduled for Saturdays in February and March. In the kitchen of the Hall Tavern, museum guides will demonstrate techniques and lead discussions on 18th- and early 19th-century food preparation, preservation technology, seasonality,diet, and the availability of local and imported foodstuffs. A bibliography on open hearth cookery will be distributed. Registration required. For more information: Historic Deerfield, (413) 757-7217.

February 22 to June 24 in Nashville, Tennessee:

Becoming the Volunteer State: Tennessee in the War of 1812—The State Museum collaborated with six organizations to develop and produce the exhibition, including The Hermitage: Home of President Andrew Jackson, the Tennessee Historical Society, the State Library & Archives, the East Tennessee Historical Society, Tennessee War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee and Humanities Tennessee. Important art, portraits, uniforms, weapons and period artifacts from the era as well as a broad variety of documentary art, maps and illustrations have been selected to recreate a flavor of the times. Tennesseans participated in the war against the British and their Indian allies in the Great Lakes area. Then, when the British threatened the Gulf Coast, Tennesseans contributed to their defeat at New Orleans. By the time the war was over several Tennesseans were beginning to emerge as important American figures, including Jackson, David Crockett, Sam Houston, Edmund Gaines (Act of Congress Medal winner) and Sequoyah. For more information: The Tennessee State Museum, (615) 532-7822.

LATER THIS MONTH

s March 2 to March 3 in Arcola, Illinois: Country Spirit Antique & Primitive Show

s March 2 to March 4 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 28th Annual Germantown Friends School Juried Craft Show

s March 3 to March 4 in Lexington, Kentucky: Kentucky Crafted: The Market

s March 3 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania: Exploring Lighting Devices

s March 3 to March 4 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts: Maple Days

s March 3 in Youngstown, New York: Tavern Night

s March 3 in Summerville, South Carolina: Garrison Weekend

s March 3 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania: Symposium and Exhibit Opening at Pottsgrove Manor - “Matters Personal, Details Private: Cleanliness, Hygiene, and Personal Pursuits in the Colonial Home.”

s March 4 in Boston, Massachusetts: Ladies of the House: Women’s History Month Series

s March 4 in Parkersburg, West Virginia: Journey Through Time: The 1811 Voyage of the New-Orleans - The American West’s First Steamboat

s March 5 in San Antonio, Texas: 175th Anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo