News
September 21, 2016New Exhibit at Albany Institute: The Art of Seating
The Albany Institute of History & Art in Albany, New York is pleased to announce The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, on view from October 1 through December 31, 2016.
Most chairs encountered throughout the day define themselves fairly simply—a place at the family table, a comfortable spot with a great view of the river, a seat of corporate power. When looking at the 43 chairs selected for The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, however, there is much more to see than simple pieces of furniture. Developed by the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and organized for tour by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C, these works of art have compelling stories to tell about our national history, the evolution of American design and incredible artistry and craftsmanship.
The Art of Seating provides audiences with a unique opportunity to see chair types that usually reside in private homes, withheld from public display. The American Chair Collection, the center of this exhibition, is an amazing and comprehensive private collection of iconic and historic chairs reaching back from the mid-1800s to pieces from today’s studio movement. The exhibition provides an opportunity to see readily recognizable pieces alongside those rarely seen by the public.
“This exhibition is a fascinating chronology of American design history,” says Albany Institute of History & Art’s executive director Tammis Groft. “We’re thrilled to be the northeastern host for a show that dovetails art with history.”
Curated by Ben Thompson, curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, The Art of Seating takes the viewer into the design studio through patent drawings, documented upholstery, artist renderings and multimedia presentations. Selections from the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation offer a stylistic journey in furniture with showstoppers by John Henry Belter, George Hunzinger, the Herter Brothers, the Stickley Brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Isamu Noguchi, Frank Gehry and others waiting to be discovered. The exhibition also features contemporary and historic designs by some of the biggest manufacturers such as Knoll, Herman Miller and Steelcase.
“Of all furniture, the chair has the closest affinity with the human form,” says Albany Institute’s chief curator W. Douglas McCombs. “We each have legs, backs, seats, and arms. And just like human beings, chairs have their own distinct individuality and character. That’s what makes the Art of Seating exhibition so exciting: to see how artists and architects, designers and craftsmen have given personality to the chairs they create. It’s a little like Geppetto carving that distinctive quality into the character of Pinocchio.”
Perhaps the most illustrious piece of history in this collection is that of the House of Representatives Chamber Arm Chair from 1857. Designed by Thomas U. Walter, Architect of the Capitol from 1851 to 1865, the House of Representatives chairs were created to be used in the halls of Congress and were showcased in portraits of political leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. A later design by David Wolcott Kendall, deemed by his peers as “The Dean of American Furniture Design,” was presented to William McKinley during his term in the White House and has become known as the “McKinley” arm chair.
The Albany Institute of History & Art will host a variety of programs related to The Art of Seating, including lectures with exhibition curator Ben Thompson and contemporary designers Vivian Beer and Jon Brooks, who both have chairs on display in the exhibition. In addition, there will be presentations by expert furniture conservators as well as chair-themed art making opportunities for the public. A full list of exhibition-related programs may be found under the Exhibition Programming section of this release.
The Art of Seating exhibition is also serving as a catalyst to explore Albany, New York’s history through the histories of some local chairs. The “PAStPORT to History: Pull Up a Chair” program organized by Partners for Albany Stories (PASt), is a special collaboration of PASt sites during the month of October 2016 that encourages participants to discover the hidden stories in Albany’s famous seats through a stamped passport program that offers users 20% discount on adult admission and a chance to enter into a drawing for a beautifully crafted reproduction Shaker chair. To learn more about the program and the partners, please visit www.albanyinstitute.org/art-of-seating.html. PAStports will be available at PASt sites, including the Albany Institute of History & Art.
Major funding for The Art of Seating exhibition has been provided by David & Lois Swawite. Additional support has been provided by the Nancy Hyatt Liddle Fund for the Arts, Burlingame Interiors, Ltd., JLM Design, Trudeau Architects, pllc, architecture +, and Digitalx-Press.
The Art of Seating is developed by the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, in collaboration with the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation, and is organized for tour by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.
