Written by Caitlyn Gutierrez, Curatorial Intern
John Hoppner, Portrait of Lady Charlotte Percy, Countess of Ashburnham, 1794, oil on canvas, from the collection of Mr. Billy Morris
The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens would like to present our more recent exhibition Collectors’ Choice: Inside the Hearts and Minds of Regional Collectors. In recent years this exhibition quickly became one of our most popular shows with visitors, showcasing prominent local collectors and the great variety of artworks of all ages and media found in our city. This year, we are thrilled to extend the exhibition into two galleries – the Raymond and Minerva K. Mason Gallery and the Thomas H. Jacobsen Gallery of American Art.
This new version of the exhibition is composed of nearly 90 works of art from almost 30 collectors, and includes paintings, sculptures, pottery, glass, photographs, watercolors, and ethnographic objects. These objects range in date from the 17th through the 21st centuries and represent the work of artists from North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
In an effort to get a glimpse “Inside the Hearts and Minds of Regional Collectors,” the staff at the Cummer Museum let nearly thirty local collectors take charge. Not only were these individuals tasked with selecting works from their collections, they were asked to address the larger concepts of why they collect and why art matters, both personally and for the community at large. Their stories are told throughout the exhibition, and photographs by Jacksonville’s Ingrid Damiani show the collectors in their private spaces.
This exhibiton is on view through September 14, 2014.
