| Upcoming Exhibitions | |
The Secret Life of Art: Mysteries of the Museum Revealed
Jon Brooks: A Collaboration with Nature |
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2010-2011
Executive Committee
Officers
Executive Chair:
Thelma T. Raine
Executive Vice Chair:
Pat Howard
Treasurer:
Ted Parrot
Secretary:
Yvonne Dunham
Committee Chairs
Guild Ambassadors:
Frances Gray
Fran Wiggin
Guild Communications:
Judy McKenna
Pauline Bogaert
Guild Meetings & Programs:
Peg Case
Guild Membership:
Barbara Shepler
Museum Docents:
Carolyn Hollman
Museum Shop:
Richard Russell
Special Projects:
Pam Parrot
Zimmerman House Docents:
Dennie Dyer
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The Currier Guild in action eNewsletter Staff:
Editors: Judy McKenna and Pauline Bogaert
Production Assistance: Neva Cole, Michelle Pennington |
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 Volunteer SpotlightHannah Perutz: Twenty-eight Years of Helping the Currier Grow and Flourish
Longtime docent Hannah Perutz | Before the museum's two expansions, visitors stepped through the Currier Gallery of Art's cobble-stoned entranceway. "There was a small counter where they purchased tickets. We had a tiny gift shop, no restaurant or air conditioning," recalls longtime docent Hannah Perutz.
"It had promise," she says. Now, 28 years and 2100 hours later, she has seen that promise prosper into the Currier Museum of Art. "It has been my delight to see the Currier grow and flourish."
The Currier in those days had a small staff, she says, "so there were ample opportunities to use my visual and graphic design skills." As a member of the first steering committee, she designed annual appeal promotions, event announcements, and invitations. For Monet's birthday bash, she designed several posters and created a hat-decorating boutique for the party.
Hannah decorating the museum for the holidays. | Other projects involved community outreach on the Currier's behalf. She did a window display at the long-gone McQuade's Clothing Store for the "F�te de Mus�e and Speakeasy Rendezvous" event. She "planned and maintained" a showcase about the Currier at the New Hampshire Union Leader's offices. Born in New York, she received a commercial art degree from Notre Dame College in Manchester, and was a visual and graphic designer for Filene's Department Store. The mother of a grown son and daughter, she now designs tapestry travel vests, with six pockets on the garment's inside.
Her favorite museum piece is the kinetic sculpture by Jose de Rivera titled Construction No. 195 (1982). "I love its simplicity," she says. "It throws shadows on the wall and they are delightful to look at."
There is one tour, which included six boys in their late teens, she will never forget. "Each one had their own chaperone," she says. "When I met them, the chaperones were all sitting and the teens were all lying down. It was obvious they didn't want to be there."
They told her they didn't want to know anything about the furniture or paintings. She announced they were spending an hour together, and this was their hour. "I will speak about anything you like in this room," she informed them.
One boy wanted to know about the humidity gauge machine on the floor, while another one asked about the skylight. She told them what she knew about those objects. Then they began vying over who would speak in the next room, and by the end the boys were fighting to choose a painting. "I was so delighted with their progression from their initial attitude."
When she gives a tour, she takes time to know what visitors want to see and plans around that. Her advice to docents is: "If you see the group get glassy eyed, it's time to move on."
Spotlight by Pauline Bogaert |
From our Executive Chair
Even though school is out and there were few student tours, our Guild of Volunteers has been busy with public and private guided tours, focus and family tours, summer school classes and camp tours, and Zimmerman House tours. Docents are constantly honing their skills in anticipation of another wave of visitors who come to the museum to view new and old art, and to hear their knowledge of the museum's collections. Other volunteers are continuing to give their time and expertise as needed, especially with art classes.
The Guild's Executive Board also worked through the summer organizing a program to honor the service volunteers have given to the museum. When representing the Currier Museum, our volunteers are dynamic and full of vitality, which results in wonderful learning experiences for visitors.
 Thelma T. Raine
Executive Chair,
Currier Guild of Volunteers
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Museum Docents' Summer: Field Trips, Walk-throughs, and Three Exhibits
What a busy summer we've had. The museum hosted three special exhibits - George Sherwood's kinetic sculpture, Jerome Liebling's photographs, and Anne and Harry Wollman's pottery and print collection.
Our curators and docent educator, Jane Seney, provided much training with walk-throughs, handouts, articles, and orientations. The Currier also hosted public programs of the Sherwood, Liebling, and Wollman exhibits. Docents were ready, willing and more than able to lead the full schedule of public, private and school/camp tours during a normally slow summer.
Liz Richter led a discussion of
her focus tour: A Day in the Life: Genre Painting. | In addition, Jane Seney organized two field trips to New England Sculpture Service in Chelsea, Mass. The foundry specializes primarily in lost-wax bronze sculpture. Artist and manager Marjee Levine led tours through the foundry, explaining the process from artists' clay models to final patinas. Attending docents were excited about learning exactly how some of our beautiful sculptures were made.
Docent Steering Committee: first row (l to r): Jane Bentas, Jane Seney, Carol Tingleff; back row: Ann Richardson, Carolyn Hollman, Nancy Johnson. Absent: Pat Howard
Photo by Don Sieker
 | The docent steering committee met twice to work with Jane on revising the docent guidelines and to develop a feedback survey. We will share the results with you in the fall. The committee will meet again at the end of August to review the survey results and help Jane finalize the fall training schedule, including a possible time change from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. for public tours. Stay tuned.
Those of you who have followed the never-ending saga of The Barnes Foundation in Merion Station, Penn., and the intrigue surrounding efforts to move the gallery's contents to downtown Philadelphia might be interested in viewing the film, "The Art of the Steal." As many of us know, the fabulous Albert C. Barnes collection, valued at billions of dollars, consists of paintings by Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, Rousseau, Modigliani, Renoir, among others, and African art and relics.
If you get hooked on the fascinating Barnes story, you might also want to read John Anderson's 2003 account in his book, Art Held Hostage: The Battle over the Barnes Collection. Anderson, a former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, is featured in the film and provides much of the background to this intriguing story.
In May, Concord's Red River Theatre showed the film followed by a panel discussion. Three panelists - Robert Wells, an attorney specializing in trusts and estate planning, Michael DeLucia, Director of Charitable Trusts and NH Senior Assistant Attorney General, and our own Susan Leidy, a Philadelphia-area native well-acquainted with the Barnes' colorful history - discussed the movie and the legal issues involved in breaking the Barnes trust, which barred the collection from being moved anywhere from its Merion Station location. The film presents a biased point-of-view (note the title) and exposes some political scheming and special interests involved in breaking the Barnes Trust. In all, this has certainly been a busy summer. We look forward to an even busier fall with new exhibits, training, and adventures in The Secret Life of Art.
Carolyn Hollman, Museum Docent Chair
chollman@aol.com |
Zimmerman House Welcomes
Seventeen New Docents
The Z-House Class of 2010 | Please join me in welcoming our new Zimmerman House docents, pictured at the graduation party: back row (l to r): Don Sieker, Richard Russell,Jane Hills, Roger Pascoe, Nancy McGaan, Angela Hoke, Pam Harvey, Bob Johnson, front row, (l to r): Kathy Drisko, Judy McKenna, Sharon Katz. Not pictured: Elizabeth Beaudoin, Florence Merrill, Ann Richardson, Jo Russavage, Kathy Sharkey, and Steven Silver.
Graduation Party Photos*:
Click here to view slide show!
In June, I had the pleasure of conducting a tour with Jane Hills - one of our newly-graduated docents. We established our game plan and touched base afterward to evaluate how our tour went. During this post-tour discussion, Jane mentioned my comment: "The house sits on a reasonably large city lot approximately � of an acre." Jane had learned in class the Zimmermans actually owned two lots. Later, Jane sent me the following message:
"Apparently it was my own personal research that led me to say that the Zimmermans purchased two lots for their home. The records of the City of Manchester (www.manchesternh.gov/gis) indicate that the Z-House property consists of two lots, both currently owned by the Currier. Lot #221-3, the westernmost lot, is .4267 acres and Lot #221-2, on the corner of Heather and Union, is .361 acres, for a total acreage of .7877, or just over � of an acre."
This detail is not the most critical piece of information we should be giving on a tour, but it was new information to me and shows the value of touching base after a tour.
I challenge everyone, especially new docents who are more attuned to listening for new/different information, to bring up these discrepancies. I also ask everyone to help on the research so we all have the same information.
In July, former Zimmerman House Site Administrator Hetty Startup and trainer for many of us, taught an Architectural History course for UNH at the Currier. Docents were able to attend free of charge, and about 15 docents took advantage of this opportunity. A reminder: class time (not travel or study time) is not counted as docent hours.
* To protect everyone's privacy, captions listing names will not appear in slide shows since the photos are posted online in Flickr and could potentially be viewed by the public.
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Museum Developing Updated
Emergency Preparedness Plan
Emergency Response Team Members Needed
As with any institution that serves the public and/or safeguards collections, the Currier regularly evaluates risks and its preparedness for emergency situations. With so many recent catastrophic events in the news - from oil spills to floods to hurricanes to earthquakes - emergency planning has been on everyone's mind.
Susan Leidy, Karen Papineau and Nelson Goddard are the co-leaders of a team putting together the latest version of an Emergency Plan for the Currier. Among the first steps is discussion with local and regional emergency management officials to assess the likelihood of certain emergencies. For instance, is it a higher priority to plan for a power outage than a flood? In the Currier's case, the answer is yes - though non-flood water damage, from burst pipes for instance, must be considered.
Another early research job is identifying local and remote resources that can be used in the case of an emergency. Is there an off-site location that could house the collections? Is there a freezer contractor with the ability and space to accommodate wet works on paper so they can be stabilized until they can be dried and conserved? Are there specialist conservators that can be called on short notice to help? Who will be in charge of the collections, archives, personnel and, importantly, public relations in the case of an emergency?
Over the next several months, the team will collect and assemble up- to-date information to form a plan. Training on the plan will be offered to staff and volunteers alike. If you are interested in being part of the emergency response team at the Currier (including being trained in art handling and attending emergency plan training sessions) please be in touch with Susan Leidy at leidy@currier.org or (603) 669-6144 x 106.
Susan Leidy, Deputy Director |
Museum Ambassadors Needed for
Saturday Mornings
If you are interested in learning more about opportunities as a museum ambassador, please contact me at the email address below, or contact co-chairs Frances Gray (603-634-4175) or Fran Wiggin (fwiggin@comcast.com). There is usually a need for museum ambassadors on Saturday mornings.
Barbara Case, Manager of Visitor & Membership Services
bcase@currier.org |
Please Welcome New Guild Volunteers
New Guild volunteers often join the Currier during the summer. Please welcome April, Erin, Marti, Brittany, Emily, Julie, Samantha, Kurtis, Miriam, Alan, Anna, Lisa, Michelle and Brooklyn.
Jane Seney, Educator for Tour and Docent Programs, is preparing to train a new docent class this fall to lead tours of the museum. The Docent Training Program begins October 13, 2010 and continues on Wednesday mornings through mid-December. To find out more, email jseney@currier.org or visit the museum on Thursday, September 2nd. There will be an information booth about the new museum docent training from 5:30 - 7:00 that evening.
Our museum corps lists 145 volunteers, including emeritus members. Total volunteer hours to date equal 4,884. This is a friendly reminder to enter your hours on a regular basis, to keep your records current.
Barbara B. Shepler, Membership Chair
barbara.shepler@yahoo.com |
Museum Shop News
The Museum Shop has new volunteers to complete its roster. Please stop by and welcome them to the Currier.
The Shop has recently installed a new glass cabinet in the wall next to the sales desk. The cabinet is being used to display higher -end paperweights and jewelry. Paperweights on display | Once again stop by and see the new display. We are excited to have this new addition to the Shop. Back by popular demand this fall is a new collection of engagement and various size wall fine art calendars.
Be sure to take advantage of your 20% discount to purchase while we have the best selection.
We always welcome and value your input.
rrr1944@motleythebear.com |
Have Fun with a Short-Term Project
This fall, Susan Leidy is looking for volunteers to work with the Currier's Emergency Planning Team. Special Projects involves usually a short term commitment for an activity as requested by a museum staff member. There is a distribution list and when a request is received, a general email is sent out to find help for the specific project. A reminder to Currier staff members that the Guild's Special Project group exists to help you, so please contact me whenever you need help. Over the summer, Special Projects volunteers have helped out Michelle Pennington with the Family Studio programs. Thank you to Flo Fitzgerald, Carol Tingleff, Roberta Lavey and new volunteers, Lisa Van Orden and Meredith Therrien for volunteering to help with this activity.
Pam Parrot, Special Projects Chair
pamparrot@comcast.net |
Docent Luncheon Memories
Many museum and Zimmerman House docents enjoyed the spring luncheon held in their honor on June 15th in the Currier's Winter Garden. Photos by Pat Howard and Carolyn Hollman.
Pictured at the docent luncheon are (l to r): Paul Sarcione, Margaret Gregorich, Nancy Zadravec, Muriel Broad, Jane Bentas, Jim Bennett, Sally Shea, Jane Seney, and Elaine McCartney  |
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Nancy and Bob Johnson |
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Marilyn Davison, Jane Seney and Muriel Broad |
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Dennie Dyer and Mary Orff |
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Jane White and Roberta Lavey |
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About Your New Editors of In Action
Both Judy and I began our docent careers in spring 2008 when we started guiding visitors after the Currier Museum's reopening. We've now taken on a new challenge editing the Currier Guild of Volunteers' enewsletter In Action. We are grateful to Jackie Parsons who created the original In Action enewsletter and who provided us with notes and guidance. Also, to Neva Cole, the Museum's PR Coordinator and Currier enewsletter producer, who taught us how to use the enewsletter program, Constant Contact and is always ready to answer any questions we may have. And, of course, to Michelle Pennington who continues to assist in the editing and distribution of the newsletter.
Pauline Bogaert and Judy McKenna |
Judy, who graduated with a master's degree in Communications from Boston University, taught at Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, for 11 years, most recently as Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Business Communication major. Judy has also been a website consultant and designer for the Greater Manchester Red Cross; Silver Cultural Arts Center, Plymouth; and Town of Waterville Valley, all in N.H., among others. She is now pursuing her love of art, working in pastels and oils. Recently, three of her pastel paintings appeared in the book, The Best of America, Pastel Artists and Artisans, 2010.
A graduate of Manchester Central High School and Cabrini College in Radnor, Penn., I was a staff writer for newspapers in California, Ohio and Pennsylvania for 26 years, the last 16 years as a feature writer and society columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. I also free-lanced for regional and national magazines and twice-edited the aviation trade show publication for the Dayton (Ohio) Air Show. I was a cooking teacher in Long Island, N.Y.; completed the Dublin (Ireland) Marathon; and received a pilot's license. My husband, Jim Bogaert, also from the city, served in the Air Force. We moved around the states and abroad during his military and business career.
I serve on the board of the Straw Hill Association; belong to the Manchester Garden Club; and am a New Hampshire master gardener. We have two children, a daughter, Courtney, and a son, Chris, who along with his wife Shelley, have two daughters, Breanna, 15, and Hannah, 12.
Both Judy and I are looking forward to our new adventure editing the Guild newsletter. If you have any ideas about stories or columns you'd like to see included in the newsletter, please email either one of us. We'd love to hear from you.
By Pauline Pinard Bogaert, also known familiarly as Peeps
Judy McKenna, Guild Communications Chair judith.mckenna@comcast.net
Pauline Bogaert, Guild Communications, Vice Chair
peepsb@comcast.net |
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