By Amelia Kibbe
Features Editor
Museum administrators and staff decked the halls of the Paul W. Beltz Gallery and the mezzanine in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, inviting students and the community to enjoy a holiday-themed tour.
The exhibitions, “Christmas Greetings from the Whitehouse: an Exhibition of Art and History” and “K-5 Juried Art Exhibition,” are open during normal museum hours and will be displayed through the holiday season and into January.
In the gallery, “Christmas Greetings from the Whitehouse” displays Christmas cards from the presidents’ house, beginning with Theodore Roosevelt’s term and ending with Barack Obama. The various cards depict different images from each term, with some focused on family and others on national landmarks.
“It was time for a change-up,” Sean Conklin, assistant curator for the Quick Center, said. “As we were talking about a display, we said we have all these things, and we should bring them out again.”
An added extension to the display this year highlights holiday history in America, such as Christmastime in the Civil War and World War I. Also included is featured pieces about the idea of Santa Claus in the United States and the top toys on the Christmas wish list from 1928 until 2010. Other pieces show the introduction of the tradition of the Whitehouse Christmas tree and incorporating Hanukah into the celebrations.
Francie Potter of Allegany loaned many of the art pieces and others are on loan from a New York City collection. The donation part of the exhibition is from an anonymous donor, Conklin said.
Freshman biology major Alexa Zak explained she enjoys seeing the different ideas of Christmas throughout the years.
“The new exhibits set up are festive and fun, but still informative about the history of Christmas,” Zak said. “The Quick is a place to stop in after class or for a break from studying to cheer you up. It reminds me that the holidays are right around the corner.”
Over 100 student-made creations line the walls of the Mezzanine. Every year, local elementary school art teachers submit top pieces from their classes.
“Works are juried by the art teachers first and then they are submitted to us,” Conklin explained. “We have a panel of jurors we pull from history students, art students and some of the museum staff. We have 102 works this year, which is one of our bigger shows. We are really excited with the participation.”
The student-made display is the first of four that happens annually. The others consist of middle school students, high school students and the art educators of the area.
Yesterday, Quick Center staff invited the students and their parents to come for an official exhibition opening and reception. After viewing the art, those gathered took part in the annual Christmas tree lighting. Each year, the staff and directors select a new theme. The idea for this year is the wilderness.
“It’s all decorated with berries and twigs,” Conklin said. “There is an owl nest on the top with a snow owl we created. There’s also some hidden birds’ nests.There are red ribbons and pinecones and even a bear displayed beside the tree.”
Along with the Christmas tree lighting, the students and their families enjoyed “The Mrs. Claus Holiday Celebration,” an interactive theater designed for kids. The show included singing and dancing with Christmas favorites such as Herbie the Elf and the Abominable Snowman.
“I think it’s kind of exciting to see the developments of the presidential cards,” Conklin said. “It’s a nice feature. They’re all different, they all employ a lot of artists and their styles and tastes.”
The next event for The Quick Center is a performance called “A Magical, Grassical Christmas” by the DePue Brothers. The classical, rock and bluegrass group will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Due to the winter break, The Quick Center will be closed from Monday, Dec. 22, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015.
The Quick Center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The galleries are open to the public year round at no charge.
