“Made for the Trade: Native American Objects in the Winterthur Collection”
It seems Native American arts and crafts, from beautiful baskets to cheap souvenirs of Western vacations, have always been part of our culture. We often neglect to think of the real historic objects and artifacts.
Nor do we tend to think of Winterthur, with its Chippendale and antique silver and Campbell’s soup tureens, as a place where they would be valued or displayed. Yet the museum counts many pieces in its collection. Some will be displayed in “Made for the Trade: Native American Objects in the Winterthur Collection.”
As the name suggests, these objects were made by Native Americans to be sold. Winterthur founder Henry Francis du Pont displayed his pieces—boxes, baskets, etc.—decoratively.
See them in the Fellows Gallery through August 28. On Thursday (March 10) at 12:15 p.m., Laura E. Johnson, curator of the exhibition, will give a lecture on exhibition themes.
For more, call 888-4600, or visit winterthur.org.
“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”
Who can forget Tom Sawyer persuading friends to pay him to whitewash the fence at home in St. Petersburg, Missouri? If your memory is a little hazy, take the kids to see “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” at Delaware Children’s Theatre in Wilmington (1014 Delaware Ave.) This weekend is your last chance. Tom, Huck and Becky—they’re all here. For more, call 655-1014, or visit dechildrenstheatre.org
“Andy Warhol: Behind the Camera”
Most of us tend to think of Andy Warhol as the archetypal pop artist and associate his name with paintings of Campbell’s Soup cans or endlessly replicated screen prints of Marilyn Monroe portraits. We don’t think of Warhol as a ground-breaking photographer.
Yet he was apparently obsessed with cameras and picturing taking, leaving behind nearly 60,000 images when he died almost 25 years ago. They may not have broken new ground, but they are a window into the soul of the artist.
You can see 60 of them now in “Andy Warhol: Behind the Camera,” on display at UD’s Old College Gallery.
Warhol’s association with Delaware is mainly through his friendship with painter Jamie Wyeth. Yet the UD received 150 of Warhol’s photos through the Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program. “Behind the Camera” is the first public exhibit of the photos.
Most people know nothing of Warhol’s photography. Most images are 3-by-4 inch Polaroids or 8-by-10 black-and-white prints. Unlike the world’s most famous photographers, Warhol cared little about the camera or high-technology. He favored cameras marketed to everyday users. That makes those Polaroids truly one-of-a-kind.
And so is the show. “Behind the Camera” is on display through June 5. For more, call 831-8037, or write universitymuseums@udel.edu.
