Philadelphia Antiques Show 2018

the new Contemporary galleries, where plans are coming together to comingle contemporary art, design, and craft in all of their manifestations. DB: So tell me what you will cover in your talk on Friday afternoon? AK: Working at a large, urban art museum provides a curator like me with the opportunity to consider the early American decorative arts collection I oversee from a global perspective—which, to be honest, is the context in which they were both made and used. The oth- er aspect is how the historic arts have informed modern artists and continue to inform contemporary artists—especially in Philadel- phia. The PMA has always col- lected historic and contemporary art, and the loan exhibition shows how that practice has endured. In working together, Elisabeth and I are continuing that conversation, and hopefully our collaborations in the galleries—exhibiting a con- temporary work and its historic inspiration—can keep that con- versation not only at the fore- front, but also make it common— expected—parlance. EA: Well said, Alexandra. When founded in 1876, the PMA was modeled on the Victoria and Al- bert Museum in London—the dec- orative arts mecca for those of us in this field. The PMA has always placed importance on collecting contemporary art—in all media— since its founding. Our Museum was the first to have a full time cu- rator dedicated to modern and con- temporary craft, so it is no surprise that it is open to thinking expan- sively about positioning contem- porary decorative arts within the art historical mainstream. Working with this collection at a large inter- nationally recognized institution provides a context that is rich and limitless with opportunities. The same sentiment holds true for my accomplished colleagues both in the department of American Art and other curatorial departments across the Museum. Our lecture will be an engaging conversation that illus- trates how the past and present are reflexive and inform each other. We will highlight what is to be gained from seeing beyond the obvious silos that hold our beloved collec- tions captive. Alexandra and I will candidly discuss how we influence and inform each other’s thinking and consider our collections collec- tively, using the loan show and oth- er important recent acquisitions as a means to illustrate our talk. Peter Voulkos, American, 1924 – 2002, Untitled, 1956, Glazed stoneware, Purchased with the Leonard and Norma Klorfine Foundation Endowed Funds for Modern and Contemporary Craft, 2013 W 111 W