So! Last year as I was dreaming up the design of the West Gallery I had a wild hair. I desperately wanted an interactive portion in the new gallery, and since we’re not exactly rolling around in dollar bills over here I knew it had to be cheap (i.e. no touch screens, audio components, or anything that needs bolting to the floor on account of its appeal to thieves). I did some poking around on my favorite museum blogs and came across this post on Museum 2.0 about a participatory exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum called “Case by Case.”

[this is where I admit to completely ripping off something I found on the internet]

The premise of “Case by Case” is pretty simple: put objects on display with no label and provide the visitor with an opportunity to ask questions and/or make observations about the objects. The Curators provided the public with plenty of sticky notes and pencils and they went for it! The result was impressive. CLICK HERE TO SEE.

The Hermitage version of “Case by Case” is not nearly as large, nor as specific. Instead of questions about particular objects I invited our visitors to ask any question they had about the house, gardens, or galleries. I had Tom rig up a floating door panel (covering up one of our storage areas and visually extending the gallery wall all the way around the room) and used the 4′x8′ panel as a place for our guests to post their questions (you don’t want sticky notes hanging willy-nilly around a historic structure).

Well, it’s been a hit! Here is the question panel this morning:

I thought I’d post a few of the questions here as they concern all aspects of our site — and you might be interested in my answers as well.

1. How did you make the vines go up the building?

There are two types of climbing vines growing around the Hermitage structure. The first type, Boston Ivy, clings to brick walls with tiny roots that secrete a sort of glue that bonds to the masonry. The second type, Wisteria, requires a trellis or other supporting structure in order to climb. The Mechanical Building (the building you see on the right as you approach the museum from the parking lot) is covered in Boston Ivy. Here it is during its autumnal peak:

Here is a picture of one of our 70-year-old wisteria vines spilling over the East garden wall in the spring:

Ah, spring. Here is another wisteria vine in bloom:

Mrs. Sloane traveled extensively through England during the 1920s. When she returned to Virginia she wanted her American home to appear as old and distinguished as the English country homes she admired. The quickest way to make a new building look old is to plant a fast-growing climber near the foundation and let nature have its way. Here are some pictures of the Hermitage from the 1920s-30s showing the ivy in its infancy:

The vines were picturesque in the 1930s-40s… but pose a difficult battle in the 2010′s. Yolima Carr, our Curator of Gardens, uses nails, fishing line and a good sharp electric hedge trimmer to keep everything in line year-round.

2. What were the names of Mrs. Sloane’s dogs?

The Hermitage was home to nearly 40 dogs during Mrs Sloane’s lifetime. She loved them! Her favorites were two Russian wolfhounds named Zonoza and Dosa. Here is Mrs. Sloane with a puppy on the front lawn of her first home in Norfolk, circa 1905:

3. There is a little room at the end of the hall that is cordoned off. The library books are very interesting and diverse. Who did the room belong to and what was its purpose?

Mrs. Sloane had two young sons who grew up at the Hermitage. The second floor of the East wing was their domain and there are a number of small reading nooks replete with shelves and desks for private study. The boys, William Jr. and E.K., went off to Oxford in the 1920s and left behind an impressive collection of books that Mrs. Sloane continued to add to throughout her lifetime. When the Hermitage opened to the public in 1937, Mrs. Sloane envisioned the museum acting as a mini lending-library for the citizens of Norfolk, with a special emphasis on books about art. Today, the small library at the end of the Painting Gallery holds a number of rare books on art and architecture from around the world. 

The books on the right are tied with acid-free twill tape to help hold the fragile bindings together. At some point in the last fifty years a nefarious mouse (or cockroach, blecht) chewed all the glue (and most of the bindings) from that side of the room. Oh lord it gives me the heebies just thinking about it. I had two of my star interns work on cleaning, stabilizing, and documenting the book collection over the course of a year or so. In addition to tying the books together, they filled out condition reports on each book, photographed it, and manually entered the record into our database. The best part? Now whenever we get a research request I can refer to the handy map made by my favorite intern Rebecca and find the book in question lickity split!

4. Did you leave this room the way it was? 

[Referring to the West Gallery.] No, I did not. However, Mrs. Sloane always intended for the West Gallery to be an area for exhibitions, based on the built-in display case along the far wall. We are better able to feature more of her collection in optimal conditions in this updated space and I think she would have liked that.  Here is the West Gallery in 1941. You may recognize the painting on the right as the one hanging in the Central Hall today. It is a still life painted in 1922 by Hovsep Pushman entitled At the Temple Door:

5. Please add labels and tags to the flowers and trees in the garden. 

We get this one a lot. Unfortunately, we are not a botanical garden. We have one gardener for twelve acres… which is not nearly enough. If you want to know more about the varieties of plants growing around the site please consider taking a garden tour with our curator, Yolima. She is extremely friendly AND knowledgeable to boot! Yolima wanted me to point out that we carry a list of plants currently in bloom in the back of our newsletter (found at the front desk). She updates that list every two months. Our new website also features an interactive map and lists of plants according to season. Click here to ch-ch-ch-check it out.

6. Why the statue was crying flowers? [This one was written in the ADORABLE handwriting of a very young person]

The statue this young visitor refers to is this one, currently on display in our Contemporary Changing Galleries as part of Blossoming: Works by Tory Fair:

One of the many joys of hosting contemporary artists at the Hermitage is the ability to send them questions like these. (Oh, how I wish I could ask Mrs. Sloane a few questions…) Tory answered us via email and explained,

“The flowers are growing out of the eyes like tears.  I put flowers at the end to suggest that with sadness there is also growth.  Sometimes something beautiful emerges from something sad.”

Lovely! Here is another of Tory’s pieces currently on display, entitled In the Floor:

I hope you enjoyed today’s Q&A. This is just the first installment! Many thanks to the fine folks of the San Diego Natural History Museum for their creative and cost-effective idea. We are loving it in Virginia!

In other news, did you know that four members of Hermitage staff (including yours truly AND our esteemed director) are teaching art history at THREE of Norfolk’s universities? That is a lot of higher learning going on. Hey I know — let’s all meet in the common room and talk about Romanticism. I’ll order some pizzas.

As you can see, he was not having it.

To be fair, he was not feeling well.

He was, however, feeling musical:

I proclaim 2012 as the year of video blogging. Next time I’ll find someone a little more willing. What (or who) would you like to see first?

Feeling a little blue now that the holidays are over? Stop everything and watch the Hermitage holiday lip-sync, brought to you by the [occasionally outrageous] Hermitage staff.

Credit goes to Megan Frost, our Membership and Development Manager, for shooting and editing this inspired take on Perry Como’s classic. Thanks, Megan! Happy Holidays everybody!

PS: Colin and I are doing the dougie in the painting gallery… although not very well.

I turn now to our fearless leader, Melanie Mathewes, who has a holiday message to share with our readers:

2011 was anything but typical. I asked staff to share the top five (or so) things accomplished in each department this past year.  The list is below. Art people are not known for the ability to count, so the first time around the list was a bit long – I never thought in my wildest imagination that I would have to edit such a compilation.

If you have recently visited me in my office you know I have taken it upon myself to reorganize the files amassed over the past seven years.  As I revisit the days of yore, I am reminded of how far we have come. In my sorting I came across a feasibility study from 1992 conducted by the Kellogg Organization. I read over the stated strengths and weaknesses of the Hermitage. The one weakness to strike a chord with me was, “No one knows a damn thing about the Hermitage.” (By the way that is a direct quote.) I do think that in 2011 we fixed that.

We are amazing – I mean really amazing! This is a magical time for the Hermitage and in 2012 we usher in our 75^th year as a museum. Forgive me, but as I look back on 2011 I am very impressed. Recently, I was asked to explain the museum’s work plan and describe our organizational chart.  I was asked if we are a tree or a pyramid. I explained that we are a sphere. They politely corrected me to say a Venn Diagram.  In truth, flat circles on a page do not capture the interconnectedness producing the energy and excitement of the Hermitage. Simply stated, we are amazing!

Happy holidays,   Melanie

Curatorial

• Makeover of the West Gallery to include small bronzes by Harriet Frishmuth, sketches by F. Luis Mora, paintings and drawings by Douglas Volk, mosaic paintings by Edwin Blashfield, and a custom designed and built archival display case.
• Timeline exhibit drew the largest crowd of any permanent collection exhibit yet.
• The bedroom ceiling was conserved, at last! The broken HVAC actually helped us resolve the leak that caused the damage in the first place.
• Completed the first total inventory of Collections storage AND archives.
• Many new gallery arrangements throughout the museum; just about in every room.
• Admission to the museum is up 20 percent overall, and our peak months were better than ever.
• Ushered in a new era of large group tours (Norfolk Sister Cities, NATO, ODU student groups, etc).
• We’re ready to go self-guided in 2012!

Membership & Development

• Membership grew to include over 1,000 current members
• Successful season of Sunset concerts
• Most profitable All Hallows Eve to date
• Growing partnerships with local Garden Clubs and VA Arts Festival
• Launched HVAC capital campaign with a $25,000 lead gift

Gardens & Grounds

• Awarded, for the second year, the Virginia Horticultural Foundation Grant
• Obtained permits and grants to restore the wetlands on the west side of the Hermitage property
• Irrigation for the East Garden installed thanks to a donation from the Redwood Junior Garden Club
• The Garden Club of Norfolk supported the installation of a Rain Garden through their achievement of The Bessie Bocock Carter Award
• Fifth year to be recognized as a Sustained Distinguished Performance Model Level River Star by the Elizabeth River Project
• 400 local school children enjoyed the Wetlands Environmental Tour (WET)
• Participated in the Home & Flower show – 15,000 visitors
• Hosted the April and October tours for the Norfolk Sister City Exchange

Interpretation

• Docent classes have seen larger attendance numbers.
• Volunteer numbers continue to grow, as well as numbers for internship applications and those accepted.
• Specialized tours have been written and put into practice, which include Children, Asian and Curatorial based tours.
• Research on the Asian collection has led to the development of a permanent gallery space to house the artwork.
• One of our Asian pieces was recognized as being among the top ten endangered artifacts in the state.

Marketing

• Worked with BCF to create dynamic new website for the Hermitage
• Expanded rack card distribution to include all Welcome Centers in VA (including listings in digital kiosks) as well as rest areas along I-95 and I-64
• Achieved highest web traffic in the organization’s history in the month of October.
• Publicity: Hermitage to be featured on the cover of VOW Bride magazine (spring 2012) and the cover of the 2012 Historic Garden Week book
• Notable Designs: Hermitage Visitor Guide brochure/map to be used for self-guided tours, new Weddings brochure, new Visual Arts Studio brochure, Reclamation exhibit gallery guide

Public Programs

• Produced the most successful Summer Art Camp to date.
• Introduced Young Artists Summer Camp for 11-13 year olds, running 4 successful weeks
• Created a detailed plan for improvements to the Visual Arts Studio building in a collaborative effort between the Education & Public Programs Committee and the Buildings & Grounds Committee
• Produced most successful Fall and Holiday sessions of VAS classes on record in the past 3 years
• Attracted record numbers to exhibition openings (5 exhibitions)

Sites

• New exterior lighting at the VAS.
• UV glass installed on all Morning Room Windows.
• Completely renovated the West Gallery by painting the ceiling and walls, remodeled the now Bronze display area, and added track lighting in the display area and the gallery itself.
• Silver display case in Music Room was re-done including the addition of a moisture barrier between the back and sides of the case and the exterior walls.
• Secured Colonial Webb Contractors to install new HVAC system for the Museum.
• HVAC install – DONE

Weddings

• Completed 22 events. Double the amount of 2010.
• Had booths at 3 bridal shows
• Became a part of the International Special Event Society
• Completed 50% of the projected budget for 11-12 fiscal year – yes already!
• Created an information request form and photo gallery for the new website which has created a lot of leads and bookings.
• Surpassed revenue goal by 20% for fiscal year 10-11

 Actually that is 51… but like I said, art people can’t count.

Have a wonderful, restorative holiday. We’ll see you next week!

MAP is run by the American Association of Museums (or AAM) and is a great way for museums to grow and achieve excellence. The year-long program includes a self-study by museum staff, an onsite consultation with a peer reviewer, and a final “implementation period” when staff uses the reviewer’s suggestions for short- and long-term planning.  You can apply for one of three MAP assessments: Organizational, Collections Stewardship, or Community Engagement. We applied for Organizational, which means that basically everything is under scrutiny.

My long-term goal is to roll right into the accreditation process. Is this boring you? I’m sorry. Colin only wears a wetsuit so many days of the year.

To learn more about what’s in store for Hermitage staff in the upcoming year, click here to read on. Let me know if you have any questions.

In the meantime, I’ll be humming this:

Get out the Map – Indigo Girls

This happened today. Yes, that’s Colin in a westsuit. I am watching to make sure he doesn’t drown. I can’t tell you why as I have been SWORN TO SECRECY, but rest assured that you will be rewarded for your patience on this matter. And how.

I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back a few months:

We enjoyed some rather spectacular sunsets this fall. Cheers, nature.

Inside the house… what was filthy and failing was made right:

Stephen, our plaster conservator, got busy in the bedroom and finally completed restoring the ceiling. It looks beautiful. The bits of blue tape  indicate the places he took moisture readings.

As pristine a plaster ceiling as I’ve ever seen.

Our new HVAC system was installed recently. BIG NEWS. I plan on dedicating a separate post to that momentous event. The morning after the system was up and running, Colin and I went through the house removing dehumidifiers from their various hiding spots.

This is just the first cull — we have at least four more of these babies lurking in dark corners. Can you believe we had to empty these by hand every. single. day. during the summer? Sometimes three or four times? First world problems, I know. In other news, we recently made a donation of two beautiful display cases to the Hampton University Museum. The cases don’t work with our plan for the Great Hall and since we have very little storage space and fifty million objects (exaggeration? NOPE) the cases had to go. Two capable fellows arrived in the early morning to collect them and Colin and I about had a heart attack watching them hoist these mothers into a moving van. It does my heart good knowing they went to a happy home. 

Moving those gigantic cases from the Great Hall really opens up the space — miles and piles of gorgeous teak floorboards! Colin and I have been hard at work preparing the space for a new installation of the Asian collection. With over 450 pieces to choose from we’ve got quite a long road ahead, but we’re hoping to have everything ship-shape by April. Fang dings and snuff bottles as far as the eye can see, I tell you.

If you’re planning on attending our Members Holiday Party tomorrow night, be sure to stop in the Great Hall and have a look around. Twirl around with your arms stretched out, we don’t care! Speaking of the holiday party… I did a little seasonal curating to celebrate the festive occasion:The painting above the mantelpiece usually hangs in our painting gallery; it is Eugene Savage’s first study for his larger work entitled Recessional, now in the permanent collection at LACMA. I moved it downstairs temporarily to recreate this archival photo of the same mantel, taken in 1950:The only things missing are live greenery, the stockings, and a working fireplace. Try to light a fire these days and you’ll burn this fool house down. “Merry Christmas OHMYGOD RUN THE HOUSE IS ON FIIIIRE!”

What else is going on? Work continues apace, with very few of us getting on each other’s nerves. Actually, it’s kind of a love fest around here. I mean, look at these nerds:

Speaking of love-fests, look who came to visit me when I worked over the weekend!

Turns out he’s a HUGE fan of faux waddle and daub:

So am I, kid. So am I.

We’re toiling away behind the scenes around here, but I wanted to share some snaps of the fall foliage around these parts before winter sets in.

Colin is unimpressed by the great outdoors:

Back soon with December happenings! Be well.

100,000 votes.

Ten winners.

The Hermitage is pleased to announce that our 18th century Korean tapestry is ONE OF VIRGINIA’S TOP TEN ENDANGERED ARTIFACTS!

So what does that mean, exactly?

It means that we have an important object in our collection that is in desperate need of conservation, and the people of Virginia agree.

What is this important object, and why should I care?

KOREAN SAKYAMUNI TRIAD PAINTING

18th Century, Possibly circa 1730

Ink, gold and color on cloth; 10 feet 2 inches x 9 feet 9 inches (355.1cm x 297.2cm)

Depicting the central figure of Buddha seated dhyanasana on a raised dias and backed by a double nimbus. Wearing monastic robes, he positions his hands in bhumisparsa* and dhyana mudra. He is flanked by two elaborately costumed and bejeweled bodhisattva, probably Avalokitesvara and Mañjusri. Standing in the background are attendant Buddhas. Seated in front are two figures in monastic garb. The figure in brown robes to the right is the Arhat Añgaja (Yin-chie-the Tsun-chê), one of the Buddha’s original eighteen disciples. The figure on the left is unidentified.

* The bhumisparsa (Earth-touching) mudra identifies the figure as the Historical Buddha, Sakyamuni, at the moment he reaches Enlightenment and touches the earth to announce the event.

Once more in English, please?

This is a Korean painting of the Sakyamuni (SAH-kya-MOO-nee) Triad.  It is made of ink, gold, and color on silk cloth and would have been used as a wall hanging in a temple.  Sakyamuni is a specific name for the Historical Buddha (or the founder of Buddhism), while a triad is an assembly of three related figures.

In this painting, Sakyamuni is seated in a position of meditation in which the legs are crossed with the soles of the feet turned upward.  Sakyamuni’s right hand is making the Earth-touching hand gesture, which identifies him as the Historical Buddha, Sakyamuni, at the moment he reaches Enlightenment and touches the earth.

Behind Sakyamuni is a double halo that surrounds a holy person.  On either side of him are bodhisattvas, or holy persons who have become enlightened and can progress to Nirvana (heaven) but have chosen to stay behind and guide others.  In the background are attendant buddhas, who are there to help the Buddha.  In the front of the painting are two persons in monk’s clothing; to the right in a brown robe is Arhat Angaja, one of the Buddha’s original eighteen disciples.

Fun fact: The Buddha has long ear lobes to show that he once was wealthy and wore jewelry, but has since given up the pleasures of the earth.  The Bodhisattvas wear extensive jewelry to represent their ties to the world.

This is the largest (and finest) Korean textile painting in any collection outside of Korea. It is important to art historians of all stripes and needs conservation in order to garner the scholarship it deserves.

Here are some detail shots, including some images of damage:

Note Buddha’s long earlobes!

How much will it cost to conserve?

$20,000 (to stabilize) – $60,000 (to completely restore and display)

Wait, WHAT?

I know. Insane.

The tapestry was assessed by Nishio Conservation Studios in Washington, D.C. in 2007. They are the best in the business. Total conservation will require four conservators and take approximately two months. So, quite a lengthy and expensive process.

The conservation process, as outlined by Nishio, will include: removing overpaint, reinforcing horizontal creases, stabilizing uplifting and flaking paint. Filling losses. Inpainting and remounting.

Where is it, and why isn’t it on display now?

The tapestry is currently rolled, covered in tyvek, and suspended from the ceiling in the hallway of our museum offices. There simply isn’t another suitable space for it.

(It is the largest center roll, covered in white.)

We can’t display the tapestry because it is too fragile to hang. I would love to spread it out on a table, but we would need some sort of custom built display table with a plexiglass hood… and I would rather put the [no doubt astronomical] cost of that towards actually conserving the piece. Here is the tapestry last time it was unrolled, taking up most of the Central Hall:

If we raise the money to conserve the tapestry, it would most likely be hung in the Great Hall as part of our upcoming re-installation of the Asian collection.

What can I do to help?

Every drop counts toward our final goal. Please, please, please consider donating toward our conservation fund online here. Even if it’s just one dollar, I can’t tell you how incredibly affirming it is for us to see those donations come in. Some days it feels like I’m shouting down a well, but when I see that a reader in London sent us a few dollars (which is approximately 30 pence after the exchange rate, amiright?) it makes my whole week.

If you would rather deal with me directly via email or phone, I would be delighted! My phone number is 757-423-2052 x204, or you can email me at lnorthup(at)thehermitagemuseum.org.

In sum: thank you Virginia Association of Museums for running the contest, thank you Nishio Conservation Studies, and thank you dear readers for voting us to the top! Let’s make this happen!

In J.K. Rowling’s lesser known eighth book, Harry and Hermione grow up and became museum curators. (And Harry grows a beard.)

We had a great time giving tours this weekend during All Hallows Eve. Each child got a little spyglass so they could look closer at various items in the house. The cabinet inlaid with “REAL GOLD!” was a hit.

We ran into another pair of intrepid Wizards in the Millstone Court. This Harry was even British!

Harry and Hermione gave out prizes at the costume contest. Check out home-made Lego Man:

Colin and I had a great time on Sunday. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

I’m sure you can see why. (JOKES! This picture was staged.)

This is not how you stand on a ladder.

But THIS is how you pose on a ladder.

Tom finished hanging the rails …

… under Colin’s careful scrutiny.

(Here’s the part where all three of us slowly walked the tapestries up two ladders and affixed them to the hanging rail. No photos were taken because, well, we were busy.)

VOILA!

Now on to the rest of the room…