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“The Blizzard” by Gerhard CF Miller

There are over 15,000 museums of all types in the United States, and of those, three-quarters are actually located in small towns and rural areas, much like Door County. The Miller Art Museum is one such museum that presents an array of artistic exhibitions year round; however, the museum also aims to promote the Japanese idea of “local treasures.”

With this ideal in mind, the museum recognizes the need to be the “keepers” and collect, conserve, and share the best of our own local, special art and history. Through its Permanent Collection, the Miller Art Museum is dedicated to collect the best of two dimensional Wisconsin art, and in particular Door County art, consisting of master works in painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography from 1920s to the present.

It is a remarkable fact that most of the pieces in the Miller’s Permanent Collection came from individuals who came to the decision that by donating their treasured piece(s) a larger audience could enjoy the work. The Art Acquisitions Committee, a committee of the Board of Directors, meets two to three times per year to view, deliberate and vote on donations and potential purchases.

“October Carpet” by Phil Austin

The Permanent Collection began when founder Gerhard CF Miller donated his egg tempera “Pioneer Farm” to the newly built art center and library completed in 1975. This gift was soon followed by another gift from Carlton Vail, “The Boynton Chapel” by Miller, to honor the life and work of Mrs. Winifred Boynton. A third egg tempera by Miller was soon after donated by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pohl.

As the collection grew, the museum was expanded by adding a mezzanine level to exhibit the permanent collection. In 1995 a special wing off the mezzanine was completed (along with a downstairs and lower level expansion) to accommodate the now more than 90 works by Miller. Each year during his lifetime, Miller would donate a “gem” from his most recent body of work before he opened his private gallery for the summer.

Today, the Permanent Collection includes 198 artists and numbers over 600 two-dimensional works. There are a number of “collections” within the Permanent Collection of note, including “The Alphabet of American Printmakers.” This collection was chosen and donated by Charlie Lyons, who would contribute a print each year; the goal was to have 26 prints, from A – Z by last name.

Other notable collections include the Maher Collection and the Boynton Collection. Thomas and Virginia Maher donated over 50 pieces from their private collection in 2001. The Boynton Collection, donated by Carlton Vail in 1975, is a series of 50 color drawings by Winifred Boynton in preparation for the design, interior artwork, and construction of the Boynton Chapel, built as an homage to peace during WWII. Each of these special collections have been exhibited in their entirety to honor the donors and to share the excitement of the gifts with the community.

Currently and through September 15, 2009, The Miller Art Museum is exhibiting selections from the Permanent Collection on both floors in an exhibit “The Four Seasons:  Landscape Selections from the Museum’s Permanent Collection.” The first floor has landscapes arranged by the four seasons and includes work by 34 artists. The artists included in this exhibit are:  Jack Anderson, Alice Hotz Apfelbach, Wendell Arneson, Sigmund Arseth, Phil Austin, Isabel Beaudoin, Rodger Bechtold, Lester Bentley, Pam Berns, Gibson Byrd, Jessie Kalmbach Chase, Lorna Bell Cornell, Les Didier, Malin Ekman, Otto Finger, Austin Fraser, Glenn Gerber, Lynn Gilchrist, Robert Heuel II, James J. Ingwersen, Emmett Johns, Gerhard CF Miller, Philip Miller, Steven Monske, Charles L. Peterson, Frederick Victor Poole, F. DeForrest Schook, Ken Schneider, Fred Somores, Francesco Spicuzza, Tom Uttech, Rosemary Utzinger, Lionel Wathall, and Jonathan Wilde. The mezzanine level has a four seasons theme as well to include even more artists from the collection.

It is a good time to visit and savor the breadth, depth and beauty of a true Wisconsin treasure, the Miller Art Museum.

 

The Miller Art Museum, located at 107 S 4th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay, is open Monday, 10 am – 8 pm, and Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm. Admission is free. For more information email [email protected], visit http://www.millerartmuseum.org or call 920.746.0707.