| Museums |
Page 1 of 6 The Wolfsonian at FIUX. A decade of collectingFrom Sept 1st, 2005 through Jan 15th, 2006 The Wolfsonian at Florida International University presents the exhibition X: A Decade of Collecting. The exhibition is an overview of the growth of The Wolfsonian’s collection since its opening 10 years ago. X: A Decade of Collecting highlights more than 200 objects obtained through donation or acquisition that add depth and breadth to the collection’s strong foundation of art and design.  “It provides an amazing opportunity to examine and evaluate our collection’s growth since 1995. From a curatorial standpoint, it is exciting to survey the group as a whole, see how the shape of the collection has evolved, and where it can grow in the future. These new objects whether from generous donors and through select purchases have helped to build upon already strong holdings and develop more modest parts of the collection. A single gift can help fill a particular gap or open a whole new area of opportunity,” said Sarah Schleuning, curator of the exhibition.The museum’s collection originated with thousands of objects privately held by Mitchell Wolfson Jr., which was subsequently donated to Florida International University. Over the past 10 years, has grown from the gifts of many private donors and carefully determined acquisitions. Comprised of 100,000 objects including paintings, furniture, sculptures, works on paper, ephemeral items, rare books and graphic design produced primarily in Europe and North America from 1885 to 1945, the collection encourages a multidisciplinary approach of viewing objects as both agents and expressions of change. For instance, Jean Dunand’s lacquered bas-relief panels based on designs displayed in the S.S. Normandie significantly enhance the institution’s French holdings. The two recently restored Art Moderne works, a gift from the Frederick and Patricia Supper Foundation, Palm Beach, Florida, were a private commission based on the “Hunting” sequence from the mural series Man’s Games and Pleasures, which was created for the first class smoking room of the opulent ocean liner. While these majestic panels provide a major showpiece for the institution, other gifts are equally as provocative and essential to the museum’s growth. Donations by Robert J. Young of rare periodicals and other materials dealing with physical culture in America have substantially helped the museum to build additional collection areas and present interesting new avenues of exploration. The Wolfsonian-FIU 1001 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305.531.1001 |
