EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN ART COUNCIL

Portland Art Museum

September 2017

September Meeting

SAVE THE DATE Our first lecture will be held on September 21, our usual

3rd Thursday day and time. Dawson's lecture will be "The Royal Image in Spain's Golden Age."

President's Column

Our summer will certainly be remembered as the summer of abnormally hot weather and forest fires in our locale and of extreme hurricanes in the southeast. We ease into our new season of EAAC events looking forward to cooler weather and much needed rain. For me fall brings a feeling of renewal, a renewal with lectures and events planned by our curator and our very talented executive board and committees. Our goal is to enrich our understanding of our collections and to assist the museum in many ways. Being president of our council is a privilege and I look forward to being part of another year of lectures, gallery talks and fund raising with Dr. Carr. This is the 125th anniversary year of the museum and we want it to be a stellar one. Our fall lectures begin on September 21. Please note that each month's lecture is scheduled on a different day of the week. We will end the

season with our annual holiday luncheon at the Waverley Country Club on Saturday, December 9th. Our proposed travel plans include a trip to Dallas in April 2018 as well as several day trips so please mark your calendars and plan to attend as many of these events as you can. I look forward to seeing you on September 21st . Patty McMahan

Curator's Column

Following a long fundraising campaign, the Collections Committee formally acquired Felipe Diriksen's Portrait of Infanta María Ana at their August

meeting. There were 28 donors, including the EAAC, which contributed $42,000, the second largest amount. These funds were raised mainly from Council travel, but also from membership fees, so you were all a part of making the acquisition possible. I would like to pay special tribute to those members who were able to contribute additional funds, including Janet Geary, Marilyn Podemski, Kent and

Carol Ann Caveney, Shawn and Lisa Mangum, James FitzGerald and Karen Howe, George and Barbara Dechet, Keith and Sharon Barnes, Janet Holt, Charles Poindexter, Calvin and Ruth Hennig, David Barnard and Akiko Hashimoto, LaValle Linn, Dorothy McBarron, Chita Becker, Maureen Moller, and one member who contributed $10,000 anonymously. Together, their donations totaled $76,500, which brought the overall Council contribution to $118,500. In spite of this success, we lacked a significant amount at the end of July and I was worried that we would have to send the painting back to the dealer. Then, Helen Jo and Bill Whitsell stepped up and contributed the $130,000 that we needed to reach our goal. As many of you know, their main collecting interest is Modern art, but they exemplify great patrons in supporting the museum's mission wherever it is needed most. There is no fundraising purpose more important than the purchase of a work of art to enrich and diversify the permanent collection, which the Infanta María Ana certainly does. I also want to point out that your support

sends a clear message to the Director and Board of Trustees that older European art is valued in our community and this will insure that acquisitions and programming continue. I am very grateful indeed!

Felipe Diriksen (Spanish, 1590-1679)

Portrait of Infanta María Ana de Austria, 1630 Oil on canvas

.

Dawson Carr

UPCOMING EVENTS

If you are going to attend the monthly programs, please RSVP to the EAAC Hotline phone number listed in the directory, 503.276.4267, then press option #3 and leave your name. This helps our Hospitality Committee better plan for food and drink for the events.

Thursday, September 21 6:00 p.m. Social Hour in the Miller 6:30 p.m. Program

Dawson, Carr, Ph.D., The Janet and Richard Geary Curator for European Art, Portland Art Museum The Royal Image in Spain's Golden Age

Saturday, October 7 Lecture - 2:00 p.m. - Whitsell Auditorium The Wyeths: Three Generations Victoria Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth's granddaughter, will talk about her family and their art. Ticket reservations advised

Wednesday, October 18 6:00 p.m. Social Hour in the Stevens 6:30 p.m. Gallery Talk - Whistler Exhibition James D. Burke, noted scholar and director emeritus of the St. Louis Art Museum, will lead us on a walk-through of the exhibit.

Tuesday, November 14 6:00 p.m. Social Hour in the Stevens

6:30 p.m. Program

Prudence Roberts, former curator of American art at the Portland Art Museum will be speaking on the Wyeth exhibition.

Saturday, December 9 Holiday Luncheon at the Waverley Country Club

WYETH Exhibition Opens

Andrew Wyeth (American, 1917-2009) On the Edge, 2001 Tempera on panel

Bank of America Collection

The Wyeths: Three Generations Works from the Bank of America Collection

OCT 7, 2017 - JAN 28, 2018

Drawing from the Bank of America Collection, The Wyeths: Three Generations provides a revealing survey of works by N.C. Wyeth,

one of America's finest illustrators; his son Andrew, an important realist painter; Andrew's son Jamie, a popular portraitist; and members of the extended

family. Visitors will explore more than 80 paintings

and drawings by artists from three generations of the Wyeth family, all showcasing a commitment to realism, technical

brilliance, and narrative sensibility.

Note: Victoria Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth's granddaughter, will be speaking about him on Saturday, October 7th. See "Upcoming Events" above for details.

Celebrating 125 Years

WHO IS THIS LITTLE GIRL?

Clue # 1: She was the eldest of nine children.

Clue # 2: She comes from a prominent Portland family with a somewhat unusual name.

Clue # 3: She was the first curator of the Portland Art Museum.

Click here for the answer.

Virtual Travel

Harlan and Judy Bridenbaugh traveled to Venice this summer. Thanks to Judy for sharing their trip including a special

recollection of meeting Peggy Guggenheim in 1974.

We spent a week in Venice the beginning of June. The Jasmine was blooming - covering walls everywhere and the smell was divine. We

spent almost a full day at the Guggenheim. We loved it but didn't take any pictures. I was anxious to return to it because (1) I had just finished reading a biography of Peggy's life (what life!) and (2) in 1974 when we "down the road" in Vicenza, we went to the museum but found it closed. For some reason(I'm thinking it must have been listed as open that day) I rang the doorbell to ask when it was going to be open. Peggy answered and enthusiastically invited us in, gave a thorough tour of the entire house and garden, chatting away like we were old friends she hadn't seen in a while. Here are some highlights from the trip:

A sculpture on the Grand Canal. I don't remember the artist, but I think it was called "Support." Just down from the Guggenheim, on the point facing St. Mark's Square, is the "Punta della Dogana François Pinault", the restored 15th century warehouse that François Pinault*, a French collector, has turned into a contemporary gallery for his collection, along with the Palazzo Grassi. They were exhibiting fantastical work by Damien Hirst. Having gone on the Walla Walla trip made it way more meaningful. Damien's "theme" was that all the sculptures had been found from a ancient shipwrecks. They were covered with coral, etc.

This last photo is a three-story sculpture at the Grassi:

*******************************

*Click here to read about François Pinault's plan to convert Paris's 19th century Bourse de commerce into art museum with architect Tadao

Ando.

Watzek House Tour

Eleven members of the council toured the Watzek House on August 16th, a warm and beautiful evening. Randy Gragg gave us a brief history of the house and then guided us through the interior and grounds. We saw the John Yeon's attention to detail in the design of the house and grounds, from hardware and lighting to a separate garden area that snuggled into the contours of the land.

Throughout the house there were little surprises like paintings by Harry Wentz and John Yeon's own compositions. Furniture designed by John Yeon was another treat. The effect of intimacy and serene space was truly impressive. We also learned about the maintenance of the house, the wonderful cedar roof which needs to be replaced. It will cost around $500,000 and Randy is heavily involved in raising fund for that.[Contact him if you are interested in helping with the project]. Randy took us 'behind the scenes' to the kitchen which contained a wonderful state-of-the-art range, circa the the 1930's, with multiple ovens and other amenities that we think of as modern. We concluded the visit by gathering in the courtyard and enjoying the lovely selection of finger food and wine provided by our hospitality volunteers. It was the perfect setting for a party.

On Loan

Chaim Soutine,(Russian,

1893-1943)

Le Petit Pâtissier (The Little Pastry

Cook), ca. 1921 oil on canvas

Our pastry cook has left the museum. He is off to London to be part of the Courtauld Gallery's exhibition Soutine's Portraits: Cooks, Waiters and Bellboys-October 19, 2017 - January 21, 2018.

Dawson reports the Courtauld was able to gather all of Soutine's paintings of cooks, waiters and bellboys for the first major exhibition of Soutine in the United Kingdom in 35 years.

Board of Directors

EAAC BOARD

President Patty McMahan Vice President Mary Klein

Secretary LaValle Linn Treasurer Jim Kahan

Past President Greg Leiher

COMMITTEES

Communication: Christine Nelson Membership: Jim Kahan

Archives: Jan Schollenberger Hospitality: Mary Lou Hautau - Receptions

Maureen Moller - Telephone Tree Arden Albertini - Greeter

Adrienne Silveira - Photographer Paulette Meyer - Name Tags

Programs: Patty McMahan Special Events: Greg Leiher, Glenys Harrison

Day Trips: Glenys Harrison Travel: Carol and Tom Shults - co-chairs

Carol Ann Caveny - advisor Eileen Culligan - contributor

Greg Leiher - contributor Jan Schollenberger - contributor

Board of Trustees Council Liaison: Dee Poth

Curatorial Advisor: Dawson Carr Council Liaison: Jan Quivey