Hood Quarterly, spring/summer 2009
This past fall and winter Hood Museum of Art members participated in two four-session courses—the first of their kind at the museum—focusing on the Hood's European art collection. The fall course explored European paintings and sculpture, while the winter course centered on European Old Master prints. Both courses were taught by Curator of European Art Bart Thurber and other Hood staff members and incorporated lectures, direct engagement with works of art, gallery tours, behind-the-scenes tours, and discussions.
"The sessions are all interesting, informative, and fun and expand your understanding of the art, making it very accessible."
In the fall, participants discovered what it takes to produce an exhibition. They learned about the process, viewed a virtual tour of the show, and examined the models used by curators and designers when planning exhibitions. Hood education staff also led a hands-on exploration of how the collections are used in teaching. The winter print course began in the European exhibition galleries, where Curator Bart Thurber provided an overview of the exhibition and the print collection.
Two Rivers Print Studio in White River Junction was the site of the second session, where live demonstrations included various printmaking processes such as drypoint, etching, woodcut, and an examination of materials related to lithography. For both courses, the final session was devoted to filling gaps in the collections, recent acquisitions, and plans for the future. Course participants were introduced to works of art for possible museum acquisition and asked to apply what they had learned in a discussion of the merits of each work.
The Hood Museum of Art plans to offer more courses in the future. Please watch for listings!