Upcoming Exhibitions @ The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Album Quilt, 1853
Possibly made by the members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, American
Printed and solid plain weave cotton with applique of printed, solid, and glazed plain weave cotton, wool twill, silk velvet, cotton velveteen, silk satin and plain weave silk; wool, silk, and cotton embroidery in chain, buttonhole, stem, cross, satin, and herringbone stitches; glass beads; ink; quilted in cotton
87 x 87 inches (221.0 x 221.0 cm)
Gift of Elizabeth Albert, 2001
2001-204-1

Costume and Textiles: Recent Acquisitions from A to Z
November 3, 2007 - March 2008

The inaugural installation in the Costume and Textiles Study Gallery features a selection of the textiles, historic costume, and contemporary fashion that were acquired by the Museum during the past decade, and which illustrate the encyclopedic nature of the costume and textiles collection. The objects on view include works of amazing beauty and rarity, examples of exquisite workmanship and design, items of historic significance—and sometimes the unexpected.

All of the approximately 50 objects on view—from a circa-1800 Neoclassical dress with whitework embroidery to a 1990s futuristic man's T-shirt by Belgian designer Walter van Bierendonck—are now part of the Museum’s permanent collection of costume and textiles. Remarkable for their depth and breadth, these holdings currently number more than thirty thousand objects, making the collection one of the largest in the country. These recent additions, acquired thanks to the generosity of numerous donors both of works of art and of funds for purchases, illustrate the continued growth and amazing scope of this valuable public resource.


Curator
H. Kristina Haugland • Associate Curator, Costume and Textiles

Location
Costume and Textiles Study Gallery, Perelman Building, second floor




Necklace with Pendant, 1970
Olaf Skoogfors, American
Silver gilt, amethyst, tourmaline, and sodalite
9 x 6 1/2 inches (22.9 x 16.5 cm)
Gift of the artist, 1970
1970-141-1

Precious Possessions celebrates the breadth of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s American craft collection, with its luxurious works of art in glass, metal, clay, fiber, and wood. The objects on view demonstrate the Museum’s early commitment to contemporary craft, as seen in the ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler acquired in 1945, and encompass a wide range of highlights from the collection: old favorites that have not been displayed for some time and several works that are making their first appearance in the galleries. Many of the pieces selected were received by the Museum as gifts from generous collectors, relatives of artists, and in some cases, the artists themselves. Others were purchased with funds raised by the Women’s Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art through its highly successful and esteemed annual Craft Show.

In mid-winter, a selection of fiber art from the Museum’s craft collection is being rotated into this gallery to coincide with the University of the Arts’ international fiber symposium Materiality and Meaning: Examining Fiber and Material Studies in Contemporary Art and Culture in March 2008. Precious Possessions salutes the many generations of donors, and most especially the Women’s Committee, in their commitment to the growth of the Museum’s American craft collection.

Curator
Elisabeth Agro • Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Decorative Art

Location
North Auditorium Gallery, ground floor




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All information courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.