|
Banner
Image: Athenaeum Members' Reading Room. Photo by Tom Crane, 2006.
From the book Historic Landmarks of Philadelphia by Roger W. Moss and Tom
Crane (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008).
New Books for April
Bastille
to Broad Street Exhibition
 The
Athenaeum presents an exhibition of architectural drawings, photographs and
objects from its collections that will examine the role that France, French
designers, and French-born patrons played in the architectural development of
Philadelphia, including the establishment of an educational system based on
the École des Beaux-Arts system. Hosted in the Athenaeum’s Haas
Gallery, this exhibition will explore the connection between French style and
Philadelphia’s architecture, with particular emphasis on the work of Paul
Philippe Cret, his colleagues and his students.
April 7 - August 19, 2011
Admission is free for the exhibition and the special events below.
April 8, 3:30pm: "The French Connection: Paul Philippe
Cret's Influence on Design in Philadelphia." Lecture by Curator of
Architecture, Bruce Laverty. RSVP to Susan Gallo at sgallo@PhilaAthenaeum.org
or 215-925-2688.
May 6, 5:00-7:00pm: First Friday Reception and Gallery
Talk.
Above: La Place de la
Concorde, c. 1890. Chandler Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia.
Senju
Day Celebration
 "Japanophilia: Philadelphia Collects Asian Art" A Lecture Celebrating Shofuso's Senju
Day"
Felice Fischer is the
Luther W. Brady Curator of Japanese Art and Curator of East Asian Art at The
Philadelphia Museum of Art. She will present an overview of the history of
collecting East Asian works, particularly those from China and Japan, in
Philadelphia from the late 18th century culminating in the installation of the
fusuma mural paintings of Japanese artist Hiroshi Senju at Shofuso Japanese
House and Garden in 2007.
Co-sponsored with the Friends of the Japanese House
and Garden. Guest of honor: Hiroshi Senju.
Thursday, April 21, 5:30pm
Free for Athenaeum and FJHG
Members. RSVP to Susan Gallo at
215-925-2688 or sgallo@philaathenaeum.org
All others $10, Pay
online
Above:
Shofuso House and Garden.
Artist Spotlight: Michele Foster-Lucas
 Since artists have become the fastest growing segment of clients of the Athenaeum’s Regional Digital Imaging Center (RDIC), we thought it would be fun to spotlight those who make use of our services. There are a wide variety of media and styles represented amongst them. As a regular feature of the newsletter, we will introduce you to these artists and their work.
Michele Foster-Lucas describes herself as a folk artist who speaks of people and culture through contemporary art works. “Taught of God…my artistry has grown bold, of greater variety and with breathtaking emotional complexity.” Michele was discovered while sketching
caricatures in a Washington DC park on a warm summer day in the early 1990s. She was invited to attend art shows and try her hand as an artist. She produced a small body of work for her first show, and her career took off when she sold five of the pieces. One was purchased by the famous African American artist Paul Goodnight, for his daughter’s collection.
 Since those early days, Michele has participated in a host of shows and festivals and has exhibited at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Collectors from around the world have admired and purchased her art. Her most recent award came in the Fall of 2010 at October Gallery’s African American Art Festival, where she received the "Best in Show Award."
Michele was introduced to the Athenaeum almost two years ago because of our ability to produce quality scans of original artwork. “My scanned artwork has been produced at a speed and quality…so much, that, my artwork reproductions have been mistaken for originals.” She also plans to make use of the RDIC’s new high quality printing services. “We can now rely on them to give us quality reproductions at competitive prices with the same speed and quality that is needed.”
Visit Michele’s website at: artmichele.com
Above
Left: The influence of Jackson Pollack can be seen in Michele’s creation “Carnival.”
Above
Right: Michele’s first foray into sculpting produced this limited edition bronze titled “Girl Friend.”
 Joshua
Kendall, The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster's Obsession and
the Creation of an American Culture.
Noah
Webster (1758-1843) was more than just America’s greatest lexicographer. He
was also a Founding Father who helped define American culture. In 1783, he
published the first edition of his legendary spelling book, which would teach
five generations of Americans how to read. A leading Federalist, who was a
confidant of both George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, Webster was in
Philadelphia during the Constitutional Convention where he wrote a highly
influential essay on behalf of the nation’s founding document. The first
edition of his American Dictionary of the English Language was
published in 1828. He would continue working on revisions until the day he died.
Joshua C. Kendall is an award-winning freelance journalist whose work has
appeared in numerous publications including The Boston Globe, The
Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, Business Week, The
Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.
Wednesday,
April 27, 2011
5:30 PM
Free to members. RSVP to Susan Gallo at
215-925-2688 or sgallo@philaathenaeum.org
All others $10, Pay
online.
We are pleased to announce that, due to the success of our trial
period, we have started a one year subscription to Ancestry®
Library Edition, which is now available on the computer in the
Busch Room, or through your laptop computer when connected to the
Athenaeum's wireless network. Ancestry, the most
popular genealogical online resource, provides access to billions
of records to help everyone from novice family researchers to
experienced genealogists. Records available include census,
military, immigration, and more. New to genealogy?
No problem! Our Circulation Librarian, Jill LeMin Lee, or
her assistant, work-study student Jasmine Clark, can help to
get you started and guide you through the resources available.
Save
the Date:
April
2: First Saturday, Athenaeum open, 10:00am-2:00pm
April
8: "The French Connection" Lecture, 3:30pm
April
12: Socrates Cafe, 11:00am
April
21: Senju Day Celebration, 5:30pm
April
27: Joshua Kendall, The Forgotten Founding Father, 5:30pm
May
6: Bastille to Broad Street Exhibition, First Friday Reception and
Gallery Talk.
See
the Event
Calendar for details and additional
events.
| 
