Everson Museum of Art facts for kids
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Museum building, designed by I. M. Pei
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| Established | 1897 |
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| Location | 401 Harrison Street, Syracuse, New York, USA |
| Type | Art museum |
| Collections | Ceramic art American Painting Sculpture Video art |
| Founder | George Fisk Comfort |
The Everson Museum of Art is a cool art museum in Syracuse, New York. It focuses on American art. The museum is known for its amazing building design and its large collections of art.
Contents
History of the Everson Museum
How the Museum Started
The museum began in 1897. It was first called the Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts. A smart art historian named George Fisk Comfort helped start it. He also helped create the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1911, the museum decided to collect only American art.
A New Home for Art
Over the years, the museum moved several times. It kept growing and needed bigger spaces. In 1932, the museum started special shows for ceramic art. These shows became very important for artists working with ceramics.
In 1941, a generous person named Helen Everson gave a lot of money to Syracuse. She wanted a new art museum built. The new Everson Museum of Art opened in 1968. The building was designed by a famous architect named I. M. Pei. Many people think the building itself is a work of art!
Art on the Building
The Everson Museum works with other groups to show video art. They project cool videos onto the outside of the museum building. This includes works by artists like Bill Viola and William Wegman. In the summer, they also show movies outside, which is popular with local families.
Amazing Art Collections
What You Can See Inside
The Everson Museum has about 11,000 pieces of art. This includes paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and video art. It has one of the best collections of ceramic art in the United States.
Famous Ceramic Art
In 1916, the museum bought many works by a potter named Adelaide Alsop Robineau. After she passed away, they got more of her pieces. This included the famous Scarab Vase. It took over 1,000 hours to carve! Today, the museum has more than 100 of Robineau's works.
In 1932, the museum director, Anna Wetheril Olmsted, started the Ceramic National exhibitions. These shows became the most important place for ceramic artists to show their work. The museum bought many pieces from these shows. This added art by famous artists like Peter Voulkos and Maria Martinez to the collection.
Paintings and More
The museum also has many paintings. You can see a portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. There are also works by Edward Hicks, Jackson Pollock, and others. Outside, you can find sculptures too. The museum also has a large collection of ceramics from different times and places. This includes ancient sculptures and porcelain from the Ming dynasty.
Video Art Pioneers
The Everson Museum was one of the first museums to collect video art. Its video collection is now the largest in the world. Famous video artist Nam June Paik showed his early works here. Bill Viola even had his first job as a video technician at the Everson. His works are now part of the museum's collection.
The museum also has furniture from the Arts and Crafts Movement. This includes pieces by Gustav Stickley.
The Museum Building Itself
The Everson Museum building is special. Architect I. M. Pei wanted it to look like a sculpture. He designed it to stand out from the other buildings around it. He didn't want it to be just a box for art. He wanted the building to be art itself! The museum has four square sections that stick out. These parts make the building look even more like a sculpture. People often use the outside walls of these sections. They project movies and images onto them. People in the community gather in the nearby courtyard to watch.
Skateboarding at the Everson
A Popular Skate Spot
Skateboarders started using the Everson Museum plaza in the mid-1980s. It became a very famous spot for skateboarding. Some even called it an "East Coast skate mecca." Filmmaker Bill Strobeck grew up near Syracuse. He often skated at the Everson with his friends in the 1990s. He even started filming his friends skating there.
Rules and Campaigns
For a while, the museum welcomed skaters. But later, skateboarding there became against the rules. In 2007, on National Go Skateboarding Day, the museum made an exception. They allowed skating for that one day. Since then, skateboarders in Central New York have been trying to get the plaza reopened for skating. They use the saying "FREE eVe" to support their cause.
Museum Location
The museum is in downtown Syracuse. You can find it at 401 Harrison Street. It is close to the Oncenter complex. You can easily get there from Interstate 81, Exit 18.
Traveling Art Shows
The Everson Museum also has special art shows that can travel to other places. These shows can be borrowed by other museums. Some past traveling shows included:
- Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller
- Fantasies and Fairy-Tales: Maxfield Parrish and the Art of the Print
- Turner to Cézanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales
- Pollock Matters
