“Florida Shanties, Palatka,” Anthony Thieme (Dutch,1888-1954), 1940, oil on canvas, 25 x 30 inches, Cici and Hyatt Brown Collection. Part of the “State of Excellence: Treasures from Florida Private Collections” Exhibition

State of Excellence: Treasures from Florida Private Collections
January 26 through April 29, 2018
Orlando Museum of Art, Florida

This spring, Central Florida will have a unique opportunity to get a glimpse of private art collections belonging to collectors from all over the state of Florida.

“‘State of Excellence’ brings a new level of recognition to the depth and quality of collecting in the state,” said Glen Gentele, director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art, which organized the exhibition. “State of Excellence” is drawn from some of the finest collections of European and American art held privately in Florida.

“Evelyn Nesbit,” Rudolf Eickemeyer (American, 1986-1932), 1901, tinted platinum print, 12 1/2 x 9 inches, © The Drapkin Collection, Part of the “State of Excellence: Treasures from Florida Private Collections” Exhibition

“Highlights include paintings by 17th-century Dutch masters, 19th- and 20th-century French and American Impressionists, and 20th-century European and American Modernists and Abstract Expressionists,” says the press release. “Sculpture is represented with exceptional bronzes by Auguste Rodin, Antoine Bourdelle, and Käthe Kollwitz. Decorative art includes examples of French Art Nouveau furniture and glass, American Arts and Crafts furniture, American Art pottery, and early Steuben Glass. A special focus within the exhibition is historic photography. Selected from four extensive collections in the state, the 48 vintage photographs on view offer a mini survey of the medium from its early decades in the 1840s through the mid-20th century.”

“Collecting art is a passionate and thoughtful enterprise,” said Dr. Jennifer Hardin, the exhibition’s guest curator. “For most of the collectors whose works are shown here, the pursuit of acquiring art is an added joyous vocation; for some it has become their primary occupation. This exhibition is grounded in their willingness to share their passion, and these outstanding works of art from their collections with the public.”


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