Exploring “The Material of Sleep”

by | Feb 27, 2015

Connie Elliott alerts us to this event at the Museum Of Fine Arts Houston, Houston:

Carol and Les Ballard Lecture Series

“The Material of Sleep in Early New England”

Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Presented by David F. Wood, curator, the Concord Museum

Twice a year, renowned scholars come to the Museum to speak about interesting aspects of American decorative and fine arts. Each lecture takes place in the Brown Auditorium Theater and is followed by a reception.

The Queen Anne Bedroom at Bayou Bend. Photo by Rick Gardner

The Queen Anne Bedroom at Bayou Bend. Photo by Rick Gardner

In early New England, the phases common to all lives, including birth, marriage, and death, transpired at home, behind closed doors, around the bed. This lecture explores some of those phases as they are revealed by furniture and textiles in the exhibition Behind Closed Doors: Asleep in New England at the Concord Museum in Massachusetts. In particular, the talk looks at the importance of textiles to the home economy, and their reflection of the pace of fashion itself.

This program is free! Drop in to participate. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visit mfah.org/calendar or call 713.639.7759 for more information.

The Material of Sleep: Quilts and Bedcovers in the Bayou Bend Collection

Thursday, March 5, 10 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

English, Album Quilt, 1860, cotton, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Bayou Bend Collection, gift of the estvate of Miss Ima Hogg.

English, Album Quilt, 1860, cotton, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Bayou Bend Collection, gift of the estate of Miss Ima Hogg. Photo by Rick Gardner

Don’t miss this rare chance to see many of Bayou Bend’s antique textiles, brought out of preservation storage for one day only! Museum staff and textile experts are on hand to discuss these treasured quilts and bedcoverings.

Guests may choose either the morning or afternoon session, both of which take place at Bayou Bend’s Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center, 6003 Memorial Drive.

Get tickets

Twice yearly, the Carol and Les Ballard Lecture Series presents a renowned scholar speaking on an aspect of American decorative and fine arts. The series is made possible by a generous endowment gift from Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Ballard to Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens.

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