In The Mood for Metalware

The Dallas Museum of Art, home to some of the largest collections of Arts and Crafts furnishings and decorative art, has received $20,000 in funding from the Hoblitzelle Foundation to support the planning and design of a new American Silver Gallery, which will help further the stewardship and conservation of the museum’s unparalleled collection of 19th and 20th century American silver.

Established in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art ranks among the leading art institutions in the country and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and groundbreaking educational programs. This grant will allow them to continue that innovation and dedicate an incredible amount of time and attention to their impressive collection of American silver.

Following the selection of a design team and development of a new installation scheme in late 2012, the Dallas Museum of Art will seek support to pursue a major reinstallation of its galleries of American silver, the most important collection of its type in the world. Featuring more than 1,500 examples of industrially-produced silver made after 1840, the collection represents the best work of the leading American silver manufacturers of the last two centuries including Tiffany & Co., Gorham, Reed & Barton, International Silver, Towle, Oneida, Whiting, and a host of other makers.

This reinstallation will be directed by Kevin W. Tucker, the museum’s Margot B. Perot Curator of Decorative Art and Design. The results of this project are expected to provide visitors with an elegantly designed, engaging, and innovative educational experience for this magnificent collection, and to properly care for and display these important objects with state-of-the-art casework, which will enable the museum to more than triple the number of silver objects currently on view. Additionally, working with the museum’s new Chief Conservator and other colleagues in the field to ensure these new cases and displays will reflect the most current standards in object preservation, the Dallas Museum of Art continues to make collection stewardship and conservation an institutional priority.

If you’re in the area, be sure to take a look around. They’re collection is sure to inspire even the least dedicated Arts and Crafts collectors among us. Visit www.dm-art.org for more information.

Top photo courtesy of Dallas Museum of Art

Bottom photo courtesy of Spencer Marks, Ltd.