A R T S A N D C U LT U R E
Engage with art, beauty, ideas at the museum written by SARAH J. HALL DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS – WASHINGTON COUNTY Start a family tradition this holiday season with a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts — Washington County. Although the pandemic has changed the way we socialize, do business and interact with others, I’m confident the museum provides a safe space (wear your mask, of course) that will add some light to the long winter days as you engage with art, beauty and ideas. The museum is hosting two temporary exhibitions over the winter months that will delight everyone from families with children in strollers to seasoned art collectors and connoisseurs.
Director Sarah Hall in the museum’s iconic Schreiber Gallery. Submitted photo.
‘The World of Jan Brett’ Running through Jan. 10,“The World of Jan Brett” features more than 70 illustrations by the beloved children’s book illustrator and author. Brett’s enchanting gouache and watercolor works present a host of her favorite characters — hedgehogs, polar bears, sled dogs, foxes and chickens, to name a few — rendered in her vivid style, which combines the fanciful with precise rendering and a vibrant sense of color reminiscent of illuminations. The exhibition features child-friendly texts that introduce world cultures, as well as an appreciation for the environment. We hung the works a bit lower than usual to provide the right vantage point for younger visitors, and we have step stools available so Brett’s fans can pore over every detail. Visit our website for a full schedule of family friendly virtual programs planned to complement the exhibition.
‘The Dutch Golden Age: Prints by Rembrandt and his Contemporaries’
An installation view of the entry to The World of Jan Brett—meet Brett’s charming array of creatures in this family-friendly exhibition. Submitted photo.
Equally worthy of intense examination is our other temporary exhibition, scheduled for Nov. 8 through Jan. 24,“The Dutch Golden Age: Prints by Rembrandt and his Contemporaries.” Featuring seven prints by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) and others by his precursors, peers and followers, the exhibition provides a fascinating look at the importance of prints during Holland’s Golden Age. The Golden Age roughly encompassed the 1600s, a century after the Protestant Reformation (1517), when a growing middle class became more able to afford material goods, including art. Nonreligious subjects became more common
