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August 2013 
In This Issue
Fun Facts
In the News
New Rental Rates
Online Arts Survey
Blue Star Museum
By the Numbers
Let's Move
Fall Trip
Preschool Palette
Museum Shop
Mark your Calendar
Fun Facts
Young Woman Sewing is the Museum Shop's best-selling postcard.

"Spirit of the House" is the Museum Shop's best selling magnet.
In the past year, the Museum Shop sold 36 berets.
Our best-selling print?  "The Nativity"

Belmont in the News


Children Can Tap into their Creative Side at Belmont and Dororthy Hart Center:  Brushing Up On Art Skills

New Rental Rates
Effective August 1, Belmont's rental event prices are changing.

 

Online Arts Survey

Do you have an opinion about the arts in the City of Fredericksburg? If so, take this short, online survey which will be available through August 31st.

Survey results will be shared on the Fredericksburg Arts Commission website and Facebook page by mid-September.

All responses are completely confidential and anonymous.

Blue Star


Belmont offers free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families through Labor Day.

Read the press release.

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By the Numbers

End of Fiscal Year Summary

 

Over 13,000 visitors came through our gates during the past 12 months:

 

 

 

 

6,500 took docent-guided tours of the house and studio

3,700 attended 60 Pavilion programs and events

2,500 walked the gardens and trails and visited the Museum Shop

320 children attended Preschool Palette classes

275 took Master Naturalist-led Woodland Hikes


Let's Move


Belmont Joins 'Let's Move' Initiative 

 

Gari Melchers Home and Studio became the second University of Mary Washington-affiliated museum to partner with First Lady Michelle Obama's  Let's Move! Museum and Gardens initiative. The national program aims to get kids moving and eating healthy food. Read the press release. The  James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library joined the national program earlier this year.    

 

Woodland Hike
 
Sunday, August 25, 2 p.m.

Led by Virginia Master Naturalists, this informative free hike covers a mile o
f trails in both woodlands and fields and touches on the historic ruins of Belmont's past. Please wear sturdy footwear and meet outside the Visitor Center. 

Fall Trip
A Trip to Brandywine:  November 3-4 
Andrew Wyeth's Studio 

 

Join our members for a trip to the Brandywine Valley in Delaware. We will explore the historic town of New Castle on Sunday afternoon.  

 

Our overnight accommodations will be at the fabulous Hotel Du Pont in downtown Wilmington.  

 

On Monday we will immerse ourselves with a study of the famous Wyeth painters-N.C., Andrew and Jamie. We will visit their studios, the Kuerner Farm, and the Brandywine Museum. Don't miss this opportunity to explore these wonderful sites!

 

Trip Flyer 


Preschool Palette
Children ages 2-5 enjoy a story, garden walk, hands-on art project, and a visit to the art gallery or historic house.  

August's theme is Monster Art           
     

Aug 5, 8, 9  

    
Schedule through December

Classes run from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

$8/child (Members $5), adults free, pre-register by contacting Education and Communications Manager Michelle Crow-Dolby at 540/654-1851.

Museum Shop


Mark your Calendar
Frame to Painting: The Gentle Art of Matchmaking 

Sunday, September 15, 2 pm

Presentation by frame conservator Sandy Jensen. Ms. Jensen's talk will discuss the history of frame styles and the painter's participation in choosing his frames. She will also touch on conservation techniques, ethics and concerns in the recent treatment of the one-of-a-kind frame for Gari Melchers' Brabant Bride.  Included with museum admission.

 

Book Collectors and the Art of Book Collecting 

Sunday, October 13, 2-4 pm

Presentation by Allan Stypeck, President of Washington, DC's Second Story Books and noted antiquarian bookseller and appraiser, will speak on the fascinating world of book collections, both large and small, and those who remain captivated by their existence. Mr. Stypeck will also appraise books, manuscripts, photographs and recordings for attendees. Limit 5 items per attendee. Included with museum admission. Reservations required at 540/654-1843.

 

Director's Tour 

Sunday, November 3, 2 pm 

Behind the scenes tour led by Director David Berreth. Included with museum admission. Reservations required at 540 654-1840

 

Laud to the Nativity: Images of Christ's Birth through the Ages 

Sunday, December 15, 2 pm

llustrated presentation by Curator Joanna Catron. Included with museum admission.


Gari and CorinneGari Melchers was an American artist who lived and painted at Belmont from 1916 until his death in 1932. Born in Detroit in 1860, Gari Melchers was a world famous portraitist and impressionist painter.  He was one of the most successful painters of his time, sought out by the rich and famous. She was a beautiful, young art student, and his biggest fan.  

 

They fell in love on an ocean liner and spent their lives sharing art. 
More than a hundred years later, the story of Gari and Corinne Melchers lives on in their home, Belmont. Be a part of this story. Come and explore this unique 18th century estate, tour stunning art galleries and hike the 27 acres of garden and trails. Share it with someone you love! 

 

A National Historic Landmark, Gari Melchers Home and Studio is one of just 30 of America's most significant artists' spaces included in the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Artists' Homes and Studios consortium

 

Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont is open daily, except Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

 

The Museum Shop, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is also the official home of the Stafford County Visitor Center, where visitors can find information about Stafford County attractions, restaurants, hotels and other amenities.


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