Maryhill Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1940 |
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| Location | near Maryhill, Washington |
The Maryhill Museum of Art is a unique museum in Washington. It sits on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. This building was first planned as a huge home for a rich businessman named Samuel Hill. He wanted to entertain his friend, King Albert I of Belgium, there.
The house was named Maryhill after Hill's wife. Building stopped when World War I began. The unfinished building was officially opened on November 3, 1926, by Queen Marie of Romania. It became a museum for everyone on May 13, 1940, which was Samuel Hill's birthday. In 2012, the museum got bigger. A new wing was added with a plaza, an education center, and a café.
Contents
What You Can See at Maryhill
The Maryhill Museum has many interesting things. Its collection is quite varied and special.
Famous Sculptures and Paintings
- You can see sculptures and drawings by Auguste Rodin. These include famous works like The Thinker and parts of The Gates of Hell.
- There are also paintings from Europe and America. Artists like William McGregor Paxton and Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton have works here.
Native American Art
- The museum has a large collection of American Indian art. This includes beautiful baskets and beadwork. Many pieces are from the Columbia Plateau region.
Fashion and Games
- You can see mannequins and tiny stage sets from the Théâtre de la Mode. This was a special fashion show from Paris after World War II.
- The museum also has over 300 chess sets from all over the world.
Royal and Religious Items
- There are Eastern Orthodox icons. Some were given by Queen Marie of Romania.
- You can also see furniture and personal items that belonged to Queen Marie.
- Memorabilia from the famous dancer Loïe Fuller is also on display.
Glass Art and Local History
- The museum features Art Nouveau-era glass art. These pieces are by artists like Émile Gallé and René Lalique.
- There is a special exhibit about Samuel Hill's life. It shows his many projects.
- Outside, there is a sculpture park. It has art by artists from the Pacific Northwest.
- The Maryhill Loops Road is nearby. It was the first asphalt road in Washington state. It's now used for a fun annual race called the Maryhill Festival of Speed.
History of the Museum
The Maryhill Museum building was designed by architects Hornblower & Marshall. It was built in a Beaux-Arts style starting in 1914. Samuel Hill first planned it as his home on a large farm.
From Home to Museum
In 1917, Samuel Hill's friend, the dancer Loïe Fuller, visited him. She suggested he turn his unfinished home into a museum. It would be "for the public good" and to share French art in the Northwest. Hill then donated many items. These included almost 90 American Indian baskets and over 70 Rodin sculptures.
Loïe Fuller also helped the museum. She gave plaster casts of famous people's hands. She also convinced her friends to donate art.
Royal Gifts
When Queen Marie of Romania visited in 1926, she gave Maryhill over 100 objects. These included her personal items, Romanian folk art, and Russian icons. Her daughter, Elisabetha, also gave the museum small Tanagra figurines and ancient Cypriot amphorae. Even Queen Marie's second daughter, Marie, gave three silver objects earlier.
A Key Supporter
Another very important person for the museum was Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. After Hill, Fuller, and Queen Marie passed away, she worked hard to open the museum. She had many items from Queen Marie that were meant for another museum. Instead, she gave them to Maryhill in 1938. These included Queen Marie's gold throne and other unique furniture. Spreckels also donated art glass, Art Deco ceramics, and European paintings.
Spreckels also helped bring the Théâtre de la Mode to Maryhill. These fashion mannequins had toured Europe and the U.S. They were going to be sent back to Paris. But Spreckels suggested they come to Maryhill. They arrived in 1952.
Growing the Collections
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Clifford Dolph was the museum's first director (1938–1972). He loved chess and started collecting chess sets in 1957. He also bought many important realist paintings for the museum. In 2000, a series of 23 paintings by R. H. Ives Gammell was given to the museum. These paintings had first been shown at Maryhill in 1957.
American Indian art has always been important to Maryhill. The museum now has over 900 Indian baskets. In 1940, Mary Underwood Lane made a special gift. She was the granddaughter of a Cascade chief. Her gift included items from the fur trade era and many carved, woven, and beaded objects. In 1979, a large collection of Arctic items was given to the museum. These were collected by Harvey T. Harding, who had a store in Nome, Alaska.
The museum also keeps many old photographs, historical papers, and reference books.
Maryhill Stonehenge
Near the museum, you can find the Maryhill Stonehenge. It's a concrete copy of the famous Stonehenge in England. Samuel Hill had it built. It was dedicated in 1918 to remember local soldiers who died in World War I. It was finished in 1929.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Arte Maryhill para niños
