Just before the holidays, Ali had a chance to visit the Worcester Art Museum. Joined by Beacon Hill Seminars collaborators, she met with Director Emeritus James Welu for a wonderful lunch and tour of the museum. They talked about the gallery's upcoming seminar, Object, Manner, and Means: The Rebirth of Representational Painting, for which Mr. Welu will be a guest lecturer.
Mr. Welu specializes in seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish art, and was the WAM Director from 1986 - 2011. Under Mr. Welu's direction, the museum was the first to: create an Art All-State program for high-school artists (1987), originate an exhibition of Dutch Master Judith Leyster (1993), and to focus its contemporary art program on art of the last 10 years (1998). We cannot wait to hear what Mr. Welu has to share with us on February 6th to kick off the seminar!
For those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting the Worcester Art Museum, the museum houses over 35,000 pieces that span over fifty centuries. Opened to the public in 1896, the museum has seen a great number of firsts in growing its collection, including being the first museum in the nation to purchase works by Claude Monet.
In addition to the wonderful art and building architecture, the museum offers numerous educational programs for all ages. The library, which is run in collaboration with the College of the Holy Cross, contains nearly 45,000 titles and an equal number of slides, available for loan. The museum also has a state-of-the-art conservation department.
If you are looking for a fun day trip we recommend checking out the Worcester Art Museum! The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, with late hours (until 8pm) every 3rd Thursday of the month.