"A Timeless Perfection" Exhibition Catalog Brings New Scholarship to American Figurative Sculpture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Claire Ertl, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
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Kaitlyn Zurcher, Manager of Communications
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GREENSBURG, Pennsylvania (December 6, 2017) – The Westmoreland is pleased to announce the publication of the exhibition catalog for A Timeless Perfection: American Figurative Sculpture in the Classical Spirit – Gifts from Dr. Michael L. Nieland to The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, written by curator and art historian Bruce Weber with an introductory essay by art critic Graham Shearing.
This catalog accompanies the exhibition of the same name and celebrates the transformational gift from Dr. Michael L. Nieland to The Westmoreland of 57 late 19th and early 20th century figurative sculptures. Thirty-four artists, including such notable figures as Paul Wayland Bartlett, John Talbott Donoghue, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, Walker Kirtland Hancock, Malvina Hofmann, Mario Korbel, Boris Lovet-Lorski, Frederick William MacMonnies and Adolph Alexander Weinman, not only add new names to the Museum’s permanent collection but also significantly enrich and add greater depth to the Museum’s sculpture holdings.
Through his comprehensive research, author Bruce Weber has brought to light new perspectives on these sculptors and their work, greatly contributing to the scholarship on American figurative sculpture. Weber, an independent curator with more than 30 years of experience, discusses the sculptural works in A Timeless Perfection within the context of their creator’s overall interests and pursuits, highlighting the individual works which have come to find a new home at The Westmoreland.
The 252-page exhibition catalog is illustrated in full color with each of the sculptures in A Timeless Perfection along with 14 comparative images. The checklist includes all signatures and foundry marks found on each piece.
The catalog can be purchased online or in the Museum Shop at The Westmoreland at the retail price of $34.95. To purchase at a 40% wholesale discount, please contact Carol Sullivan, Museum Shop Manager at csullivan@thewestmoreland.org. If interested in distribution, please contact Barbara L. Jones, Chief Curator at bljones@thewestmoreland.org.
About Bruce Weber:
Bruce Weber is an independent curator with over 30 years professional experience. With a Ph.D in the history of art from the Graduate School of the City University of New York, he has served as a curator of American art at the University of Kentucky Museum of Art, Norton Museum of Art, National Academy Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and as the director of research and exhibitions at New York’s Berry-Hill Gallery. He has broad expertise and experience in the field of American art from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
About Dr. Michael L. Nieland:
Dr. Michael L. Nieland, a long-time member and supporter of The Westmoreland, is a retired dermatologist and dermatopathologist. Assembled over a period of over 20 years, that which started as a small collection soon grew to over 100 pieces of American and European figurative sculpture. Before gifting his American collection to the Museum, Dr. Nieland and his wife Lilli enjoyed living with them in their Henry Hornbostel home in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
About The Westmoreland Museum of American Art:
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, located at 221 N. Main Street in Greensburg, PA, completed a transformational renovation and expansion project in October 2015. A new LEED-certified addition of over 13,000 square feet features a dynamic cantilevered design along with a stunning view of the City of Greensburg and the Laurel Highlands beyond. The Westmoreland’s permanent collection is comprised of works by major American artists from the 18th century through the present, with a special emphasis on Southwestern Pennsylvania art and artists. The Museum also offers an impressive schedule of temporary exhibitions of American art – both nationally-travelling and those organized in house – as well as events and community-oriented educational programming for all ages. More information is available at thewestmoreland.org.