Press Releases

January 30, 2008 - The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Single Tickets on Sale February 1

October 29, 2007 - The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Announces 2008 Program

October 16, 2006 - The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Announces 2007 Program

February 8, 2006 - Leigh Keno to be Keynote Speaker for The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum in March

October 14, 2005 - The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Announces Partnership with the Gibbes Museum of Art for 2006 Program

The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Single Tickets on Sale February 1

Ameriprise Financial Foundation Grant Awarded to 2008 Forum

Charleston, SC – Single tickets for The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum go on sale February 1. Benefiting education programs at the Gibbes Museum of Art, the 2008 Forum will be held March 12 through March 16, 2008. “Sales of ticket packages are 20% ahead of this time last year, so we anticipate another sell-out program,” according to Forum Chair Jean Y. Helms. Last year’s Forum attracted participants from 23 states, including students from Sotheby’s Institute, New York. Ticket packages are still available, with single tickets also on sale as of February 1, at www.charlestonantiquesforum.org.

The 2008 Forum will examine Southern fine and decorative arts in a program entitled Terra Incognita: New Discoveries and Influences on the South. National experts will illuminate paintings, furniture, textiles, ceramics and other objects made in the South, while noting the effect of other traditions on the
region. Once viewed as made in an “unknown land,” Southern works are now highly sought in the marketplace.

“The Gibbes Museum of Art is pleased to be entering our third year as the host site and benefiting organization of The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum,” said Todd Smith, Gibbes Executive Director. “This year’s focus on Southern Art is a perfect complement to the mission of the Gibbes.”

The Countess of Arran, the 2008 Keynote Speaker, will open the Forum on Wednesday, March 12. On her first visit to Charleston, Lady Arran will speak on her ancestral home in Castle Hill, a Palladian Jewel in an Arcadian Landscape. Built in 1730 in Devon, England, Castle Hill is a spectacular house
furnished with beautiful objects, a vast estate which is still farmed and, most importantly, the family home of the Earl and Countess of Arran and their two daughters for the past eighteen years. As English country houses such as Castle Hill greatly influenced the plantations of the American South, Lady Arran’s address will inform the daily lectures which follow.

This year’s schedule features lectures by experts from major museums, historic properties and private collections; beautiful receptions in landmark buildings; and four optional tours, including a trip to Millford Plantation, one of the finest Greek Revival homes in the United States. In addition to the Countess of Arran, the 2008 Forum speakers are: Ronald Bourgeault, Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Linda Eaton, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate; Elizabeth M. Gushee, University of Virginia; Peter M. Kenny, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Robert A. Leath, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts at Old Salem; Angela D. Mack, Gibbes Museum of Art; Louis P. Nelson, University of Virginia; J. Thomas Savage, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate; Gilbert P. Schafer III, G. P. Schafer Architect, PLLC, New York; Matthew Webster, Drayton Hall; and Carolyn J. Weekley, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The program will conclude with Passionate Pursuits, a lively round table discussion, as Ronald Bourgeault and J. Thomas Savage are joined by two Charleston collectors, John M. Rivers, Jr. and Louis D. Wright, Jr., M.D.

Ameriprise Financial Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum and its benefiting organization, the Gibbes Museum of Art, in support of the Forum’s 2008 program. Elizabeth J. Savage, CFP, Senior Financial Advisor, says, “Ameriprise is proud to be the lead sponsor for this outstanding decorative arts forum in Charleston for the 5th consecutive year. This premier event makes an important contribution to the scholarship of material culture, while building a national decorative arts program in one of America’s most historic cities.” Other sponsors of The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum are Charlton Hall Auctions in Columbia, SC and Integria, a media services company headquartered in Quebec, Canada.
For a full schedule and ticket information, visit www.charlestonantiquesforum.org To receive the 2008 program brochure, write The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum; c/o Gibbes Museum of Art; 135 Meeting Street; Charleston, SC 29401 or call (843) 722-2706, extension 22.

The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Announces 2008 Program

Ticket Packages Now on Sale for The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum with the Countess of Arran as 2008 Keynote Speaker

Charleston, SC – The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum will be held Wednesday, March 12 through Sunday, March 16, 2008 and will benefit the education programs at the Gibbes Museum of Art. Opening Charleston’s acclaimed Antiques Week, the 2008 Forum will examine Southern fine and decorative arts in a program entitled Terra Incognita:New Discoveries and Influences on the South. National experts will illuminate paintings, furniture, textiles, ceramics and other objects made in the South, while noting the effect of other traditions on the region. Once viewed as made in an “unknown land,” Southern works are now highly sought in the marketplace.

The 2008 Forum begins March 12 with the Keynote Address delivered by the Countess of Arran. On her first visit to Charleston, Lady Arran will speak on her ancestral home in Castle Hill, a Palladian Jewel in an Arcadian Landscape. Built in 1730 in Devon, England, Castle Hill is a spectacular house furnished with beautiful objects, a vast estate which is still farmed and, most importantly, the family home of the Earl and Countess of Arran and their two daughters for the past eighteen years. As English country houses such as Castle Hill greatly influenced the plantations of the American South, Lady Arran’s address will inform the daily lectures which follow.

Wendy Moonan, antiques columnist for The New York Times, has described The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum as “reliably intellectual and utterly provocative, probably due to its intriguing mix of speakers.” This year’s schedule features lectures by experts from major museums, historic properties and private collections; beautiful receptions in landmark buildings; and four optional tours, including a trip to Millford Plantation, one of the finest Greek Revival homes in the United States. In addition to the Countess of Arran, the 2008 Forum speakers are: Ronald Bourgeault, Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Linda Eaton, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate; Elizabeth M. Gushee, University of Virginia; Peter M. Kenny, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Robert A. Leath, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts at Old Salem; Angela D. Mack, Gibbes Museum of Art; Louis P. Nelson, University of Virginia; J. Thomas Savage, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate; Gilbert P. Schafer III, G. P. Schafer Architect, PLLC, New York; Matthew Webster, Drayton Hall; and Carolyn J. Weekley, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The program will conclude with Passionate Pursuits, a lively round table discussion, as Ronald Bourgeault and J. Thomas Savage are joined by two Charleston collectors, John M. Rivers, Jr. and Louis D. Wright, Jr., M.D.

“The Gibbes Museum of Art is pleased to be entering our third year as the host site and benefiting organization of the Charleston Art & Antiques Forum,” said Todd Smith, Gibbes Executive Director. “This year’s focus on Southern Art is a perfect complement to the mission of the Gibbes.”

The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum is organized by a dedicated group of volunteers. The 2008 Forum is being sponsored, in part, by Charlton Hall Auctions in Columbia, SC and Integria, a media services company headquartered in Quebec, Canada. Last year’s sold-out Forum attracted participants from 23 states, including students from Sotheby’s Institute, New York. Wendell D. Garrett of The Magazine Antiques enthused: “I have attended and participated in a number of symposiums over the country, and this one is the best by every measure.”

CAAF Announces New Members of the Advisory Board
Carrie Rebora Barratt and Wendell D. Garrett, both featured presenters in 2007, have been named to the Board of Advisors of The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum. Ms. Barratt is Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture, and Manager of The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Garrett, known as the “Dean of American Antiques,” is currently Editor-at-Large of The Magazine Antiques and Senior Vice President at Sotheby’s New York.

“We are thrilled Carrie Barratt and Wendell Garrett enthusiastically agreed to volunteer their expertise to help us continue building a national decorative arts program in Charleston, one of America’s most historic cities,” said Jean Y. Helms, The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Chair. “The Forum, now entering its second decade, has always focused on scholarship. To have these preeminent scholars joining our other expert advisors will ensure that we attract and present the very best in the field of Americana.”

Ticket packages are now available online at www.charlestonantiquesforum.org. To receive the 2008 program brochure, write The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum; c/o Gibbes Museum of Art; 135 Meeting Street; Charleston, SC 29401 or call (843) 722-2706, extension 25.

The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Announces 2007 Program

The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum opens Antiques Week in Charleston, March 14 – 18, 2007

Charleston, SC – The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum announces the program for its tenth season, March 14 – 18, with ticket packages now on sale. Presented in partnership with the Gibbes Museum of Art, the 2007 Forum is entitled "Celebrating American Masterpieces: 18th and 19th Century Fine and Decorative Arts" and launches Charleston’s Antiques Week.

The Forum opens March 14 with the Keynote Address by Wendell D. Garrett, Editor-at-Large of The Magazine Antiques and Senior Vice President at Sotheby’s New York. The schedule continues with a fascinating series of lectures by prominent experts from major museums, historic properties and private collections; the opportunity to view extraordinary paintings, furniture, silver, porcelain, and memorabilia; beautiful receptions in landmark buildings; and, to conclude on March 18, a special tour of the Lowcountry and brunch in a historic home.

Jean Y. Helms, Chair of The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum, states:
"Charleston, one of America’s most historic and vibrant cities, is the
perfect venue to present nationally recognized experts in the fine and
decorative arts fields. The best in scholarship, coupled with warm
Southern hospitality and the opportunity to participate in other
Antiques Week offerings, makes Charleston 'the place to be' in March for collectors, scholars and all who are interested in learning."

The upcoming Forum program, "Celebrating American Masterpieces," complements two special exhibitions on view at the Gibbes Museum of Art: Southern Masterpieces: Charleston before 1835 showcases Charleston furniture, paintings and objects from private and public collections, while Grandeur Saved: Photographs of the Aiken-Rhett House by Michael Eastman highlights the importance of historic preservation through large-scale photographs of the Aiken-Rhett House, the most intact townhouse complex showcasing urban life in antebellum Charleston.

"As partnering organizations, the Gibbes and the Art & Antiques Forum are able to reinforce each other’s programming," according to Todd Smith, Gibbes Executive Director. "Objects exhibited in the museum are illuminated by the newest research into their historical and cultural context, which then deepens appreciation for these wonderful works, their makers and their provenance."

Featured presenters on the 2007 Forum schedule are Carrie Rebora Barratt, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; Luke Beckerdite, Editor, American Furniture, Williamsburg, VA; Michael K. Brown, Bayou Bend Collection, Houston, TX; Charles H. P. Duell, Middleton Place Foundation, Charleston, SC; Michael Eastman, photographer, St. Louis, MO; Stuart P. Feld, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc., New York, NY; Ralph Harvard III, antiquarian, New York, NY; Eleanor Harvey, The National Museum of Art, Washington, DC; Carol Huber, Stephen & Carol Huber Antiques Samplers, Old Saybrook, CT; Dr. Henry C. Landon III, collector, North Wilkesboro, NC; J. Thomas Savage, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, Winterthur, DE; Todd D. Smith, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC; and Stephanie E. Yuhl, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA.

A dedicated group of volunteers organizes the Charleston Art & Antiques Forum. In keeping with its focus on scholarship, the Forum is designating all 2007 proceeds to benefit education and outreach programs at the Gibbes Museum of Art.

Ticket packages are now available. To receive the 2007 program brochure, write The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum; c/o Gibbes Museum of Art; 135 Meeting Street; Charleston, SC 29401; call (843) 722-2706, extension 25; or visit www.charlestonantiquesforum.org

SOUTHERN MASTERPIECES: CHARLESTON BEFORE 1835
Southern Masterpieces, on view February 9 – April 29, 2007 at the Gibbes Museum of Art, speaks to the growing national interest in fine and decorative art of the South. Featuring The Rivers Collection of significant Lowcountry furniture and silver arranged within the context of paintings and sculpture from the Gibbes permanent collection, along with select objects from public and private collections, Southern Masterpieces offers a comprehensive exploration of Charleston's taste and refinement from the eighteenth through the early nineteenth century.

Recognizing that significant pieces of Charleston furniture and silver were dispersing outside the Charleston area, John M. Rivers, Jr. whose family has been in Charleston continuously since 1670, began forming The Rivers Collection in 1988. Instilled with the same spirit possessed by E. Milby Burton, former director of the Charleston Museum and author of the groundbreaking publication entitled Charleston Furniture: 1700-1825,
Mr. Rivers has effectively supplemented the work of public museums in an effort to preserve the rich heritage of Charleston and the surrounding region. Southern Masterpieces will offer the first public showing of objects from this collection.

GRANDEUR SAVED: PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIKEN-RHETT HOUSE BY MICHAEL EASTMAN

Large-scale photographs invite reflection on the past and questions about the future of Charleston’s historic structures in the exhibition Grandeur Saved: Photographs of the Aiken-Rhett House by Michael Eastman. On view January 12- May 13, 2007 at the Gibbes Museum of Art, Grandeur Saved is presented in conjunction with the Historic Charleston Foundation. Built in 1818 and virtually unaltered since 1858, the Aiken-Rhett house stands alone as the most intact townhouse complex displaying urban life in antebellum Charleston.

Under the ownership of William Aiken in 1833, the Aiken-Rhett house was one of the most impressive residences in Charleston. 172 years later, the house captured the attention of Michael Eastman, a photographer renowned for his striking use of color. Eastman captured the structure’s rich hues and textures in epic proportions, with some of the prints measuring as large as seven by nine feet. Owned by the Historic Charleston Foundation since 1995, the Aiken-Rhett House and outbuildings are being preserved and interpreted as a museum site for visitors to enjoy. Eastman’s photographs celebrate the Foundation’s work, while emphasizing the importance of historic preservation.

GIBBES MUSEUM OF ART

Established as the Carolina Art Association in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art opened its doors to the public in 1905. Located in Charleston’s historic district, the Gibbes houses a premier collection of over 10,000 works of fine art, principally American works with a Charleston or Southern connection and presents 12-15 special exhibitions annually. In addition, the museum offers an extensive complement of public programming and educational outreach initiatives. The partnership between the Gibbes and The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum, initiated in 2005, has invigorated Antiques Week in Charleston while benefiting the museum’s arts education and outreach programs. As the aesthetic heart of the Lowcountry, the Gibbes serves the community by stimulating creative expression, increasing economic vitality through tourism and improving the region’s superb quality of life.

Leigh Keno to be Keynote Speaker for The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum in March

A partnership between The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum and the Gibbes Museum of Art invigorates the 2006 Antiques Week, beginning Saturday, March 11.

Charleston, SC – Leigh Keno, one of the foremost dealers in American antiques, will deliver the 2006 keynote address for The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum. In addition to owning a premier gallery in New York City, Mr. Keno is a scholar, author and television host. Speaking on "New Discoveries in the Marketplace," he will give an insider look at rare discoveries that have turned up privately and at public auction, as well as the unusual places in which they were found. The event will be held at the Riviera Theater at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 12. Audience members will have the opportunity to meet the speaker at a gala reception following the lecture. Leigh Keno’s appearance at the Forum is being generously underwritten by Bank of America Private Bank.

This Forum event marks Mr. Keno’s first lecture in Charleston. "It is truly an honor and a pleasure to be part of this year’s Forum. The quality of the 2006 speakers at The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum is incredible," Mr. Keno said, speaking from his office in New York. "Given my passion for historic homes and antiques, Charleston is one of my favorite cities in the world."

A graduate of Hamilton College, Mr. Keno worked as Director of the American Furniture department at William Doyle Galleries and as Vice President of Appraisals and specialist in American Furniture at Christie’s Auction House. He opened Leigh Keno American Antiques in 1986 and has written articles for such publications as Art & Antiques, The Magazine Antiques and American Furniture. Mr. Keno was one of eleven distinguished Americans awarded the 2005 National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush.

Leigh Keno is perhaps best known nationally for appearances with his twin brother Leslie on the PBS program Antiques Roadshow. He and his brother are also co-hosts for Find! on PBS stations, a show celebrating design, style, antiques and furnishings. In 2000, the Keno twins joined author Joan Barzilay Freund to write the book Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture.

Tickets for the Keynote Address with Leigh Keno and Gala Reception are included in several ticket packages being offered by the Charleston Art & Antiques Forum or purchased individually for $75. For further information on this event and for the 2006 Forum schedule, visit www.charlestonantiquesforum.org.

The third annual Antiques Week in Charleston, South Carolina begins with The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum’s "Decorative Arts in the Age of Enlightenment" which places particular focus on the exhibition Made in China: Export Porcelain from the Leo and Doris Hodroff Collection at Winterthur, opening March 11 at the Gibbes Museum of Art. The series of lectures and receptions with national decorative arts experts will be held through Saturday, March 11 through Wednesday, March 15. All proceeds from the 2006 Forum will benefit arts education and outreach at the Gibbes. For museum hours and detailed information on the exhibition, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org

Additional activities included in Antiques Week include the openings of the 58th Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s Designer Show House and Historic Charleston Foundation’s International Antiques Show, at which a vetted selection of antiques will be offered for sale.

Information on the International Antiques Show and the Festival of Houses and Garden may be obtained through Historic Charleston Foundation at (843) 720-1181 or at www.historiccharleston.org. To contact the Charleston Symphony Designer House, call (843) 723-7528 or visit www.charlestonsymphony.com.

GIBBES MUSEUM OF ART

MUSEUM HOURS
TUESDAY - SATURDAY: 10 A.M. - 5 P.M., SUNDAY: 1 P.M. - 5 P.M.

ADMISSION:
ADULTS: $9.00 · SENIORS, STUDENTS & MILITARY: $8.00 · CHILDREN (6-12): $6.00
MEMBERS AND CHILDREN UNDER 6: FREE
www.gibbesmuseum.org

The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum Announces Partnership with the Gibbes Museum of Art for 2006 Program

A partnership between The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum and the Gibbes Museum of Art invigorates the 2006 Antiques Week, beginning Saturday, March 11.

Charleston, SC – The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum will be held Saturday, March 11 through Wednesday, March 15, 2006 in partnership with the Gibbes Museum of Art. The Forum, formerly the Charleston Antiques Symposium, is entering its ninth year and attracts participants from 17 states.

Jean Y. Helms, Chair of The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum, states: "We are a dedicated group of volunteers who bring nationally recognized decorative arts experts to Charleston for a series of lectures and receptions in landmark venues and private homes. Partnering for the first time with the Gibbes Museum of Art, we are excited to be working with the museum staff to present a dynamic program in 2006 that will engage collectors, scholars and all those who want to learn."

Made in China: Export Porcelain from the Leo and Doris Hodroff Collection at Winterthur chronicles the history of Chinese export porcelain from 1550 to 1850 and examines why porcelain, with its fine white body, delicately painted decoration and associations with the exotic lands of Asia, has long delighted and captivated Europeans and Americans. The exhibition explores export porcelain from a number of different perspectives: as a product of skilled Chinese artisans; as a valuable trade commodity; as an artifact of daily life; and as evidence of cultural interactions between Asia and the West. Approximately 150 pieces of drinking, dining and decorative wares will be included in the exhibition. Ranging in size from tiny tea bowls to monumental vases, each is a masterpiece of the potter’s art.

Chinese export porcelain specialists scheduled as featured presenters for The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum include Ronald W. Fuchs II, author of the catalogue for Made in China and Curator of Ceramics, Winterthur Museum, Wilmington, DE; Patricia Halfpenny, Director of Museum Collections, Winterthur; Robert Leath, consultant for a Charleston component to the exhibition and newly appointed Vice-President of Collections and Research at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Winston-Salem, NC; William R. Sargent, Curator of Asian Export Art, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA; and Martha Zearden, archeologist, The Charleston Museum, Charleston, SC. J. Thomas Savage, Director of Museum Affairs, Winterthur, will also be participating in the Forum.

Other decorative and fine arts experts on the 2006 Forum roster include Ronald L. Hurst, The Carlisle Humelsine Chief Curator and Vice-President of Collections and Museums, Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA; Maurie A. McInnis, associate professor of art history, the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA and author of The Politics of Taste in Antebellum Charleston; Louis Nelson, author of Charleston Church Architecture and Silver and University of Virginia School of Architecture professor; Elle Shushan, portrait miniature consultant for museum and private collections, Philadelphia, PA; and Janine E. Skerry, Curator of Ceramics and Glass, Colonial Williamsburg.

Building on the success of the sold-out boat trip in 2005, this year’s program will feature a cruise on historic waterways south of Charleston. It will be escorted by John Meffert, Study Leader for the National Trust for Historic Preservation based in Charleston, SC.

All proceeds from The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum will benefit education and outreach at the Gibbes. Other Antiques Week events are the Charleston International Antiques Show with a vetted selection of antiques for sale, the start of the 59th Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens and the opening of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s Designer Show House.

For information on event packages for The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum or to receive a program brochure, visit www.charlestonantiquesforum.org.

Information on the International Antiques Show and the Festival of Houses and Garden may be obtained through Historic Charleston Foundation at www.historiccharleston.org. To contact the Charleston Symphony Designer House, call (843) 723-7528 or visit www.charlestonsymphony.com