Description

 This very straightforward and traditional grant will provide partial funding for the Farnsworth Art Museum’s new collection catalogue/handbook. The Farnsworth holds a very substantial collection of art related to the state of Maine: works by artists who resided or worked in the state, or who portrayed it. While the Farnsworth is not the only museum to specialize in this material–it vies primarily with the Portland Museum of Art–it pursues its mission with consistency and energy. This year, the museum will inaugurate a comprehensive reinstallation of the collection.  They will also begin work on the catalogue, which will be published in  2020 to coincide with the statewide celebration of the Maine bicentennial. The project will be executed by the Farnsworth’s chief curator, Michael Komanecky.
The last catalogue of the Farnsworth was published in 2000 and has long been out of print.  The proposed, fully-illustrated book will feature 100 significant objects from the collection, from the late-18th century to the present, with udpated and expanded information. This volume will also include information on the Museum’s two historic sites, both recently restored: the 1850 Farnsworth House, and the Olsen House (in Cushing, Maine), where Andrew Wyeth famously painted hundreds of works.  The forthcoming catalogue run will number 3000, and the content will also be made available digitally, on the museum’s website, to reach a wider audience including Maine educators.
This new, accessible collection catalogue will serve as an effective tool for the museum in the effort of outreach.  Its timing with the Maine celebrations will be optimal, providing an occasion that will heighten awareness of its production.