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Conversation:
“Islamic Art at the Denver Art Museum—Why?”
Bj Averitt was a docent in
the Denver Art Museum’s education department, and she remains
a teacher at heart. Her beneficence and intelligence have helped
the museum acquire works that foster an understanding of Islamic
art and culture. When selecting an acquisition, she takes into
consideration what it has to teach. In an interview with curator
of Asian art Ronald Otsuka, Averitt reveals why a Connecticut
Yankee feels it is necessary to have Islamic art represented in
the museum’s collection. She reflects on her ongoing role
in developing the museum’s collection and describes what
the beauty of Islamic art has meant to her personally.
November 6, 2007
Workshop: “Islamic Art—A Few of My Favorite Things”
When asked to name her favorite piece, Bj Averitt
said that she felt like a sultan in his harem. “How could
I choose when I love each one with all my heart?” And like
Shahrazad in Arabian Nights, Averitt has many stories to tell
about the works of Islamic art in the Denver Art Museum collection.
Known for her wry wit, she was a popular docent in the museum’s
education department and gave countless tours of the Asian art
galleries. When she turned 85 on July 19, 2007, Averitt retired
from her volunteer position but promises to continue her assistance
to the department. She remains busy tidying up her research files
and adding to her knowledge of Islamic art. From the 1,000 tales
in her repertoire, she will recount a few of her favorite stories
about the works she helped the museum acquire.
November 7, 2007
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Conversation:
"The Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture—Build
It and They Will Come"
In
1995, Bill Clark and his wife Libby founded the Clark Center for
Japanese Art and Culture on their ranch six miles south of Hanford,
California (near Fresno). Their rapidly growing collection includes
Japanese artworks from the 10th to 21st century, and visitors
from around the world come to see it. In a conversation with curator
of Asian art Ronald Otsuka, Clark describes his Japanese art collection
and explains how it traveled to five cities in Japan under the
auspices of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, a leading economic newspaper.
One of the main goals of the Clark Center, which recently added
a bonsai garden, is to continue and expand its educational programs.
Its future may include additional art galleries, classrooms, a
scholar’s village, and one of the largest libraries for
Japanese art and culture in the western United States. Clark also
explains the challenge of creating a collection of considerable
breadth and determining the best way to ensure its future.
Tuesday, December 11
Workshop:
"Japanese Art—The Fine Line Between Collecting and
Insanity"
Of sound mind and body, Bill Clark relates his personal addiction—collecting
Japanese art. His madness led him to pursue not only individual
works of art, but also the acquisition of an entire collection
of ceramics by contemporary Japanese sculptor Fukami Sueharu (born
1947). Clark’s interests are not limited to Japan. His collection
includes superb examples of sculpture from Cambodia and India
and paintings by the California impressionists. His experiences
span several decades of involvement in the front lines of collecting.
He relates how he has maintained his sanity while developing a
world-class collection of Japanese art.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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